Want, Need, Wear, Read

A couple of years ago, in an effort to tame the Christmas "gimmes", we started using an old Victorian poem as a guideline for gift giving.

Something you want,
Something you need,
Something to wear,
Something to read.

Both boys each get an nutcracker and an ornament to add to their collections, and Santa fills their stockings with some small things. But, that's really it. Of course, they also receive lots of gifts from Grandma and Grandpa and aunts and uncles. Having these parameters really limits the craziness and helps with ideas.

Here is Sam with his nutcracker, wearing the White Sox sweatshirt from Grandma~Here are Charlie and Sam opening their "need" - ball bags for baseball~

I love this picture - Sam is so happy and Charlie in the background so proud. Sam has been asking for clip on earrings for over a month. A couple of weeks before Christmas Charlie whispered to me that he knew what he wanted to get Sam for Christmas! We split up at the mall one day and Charlie came home with these~

Something to wear, a Hester jersey (Sam got Urlacher)~

Something you want (Charlie got a new pogo stick)~

For "read" Sam (the pancake addict) received Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle, and Charlie was thrilled to open Forbidden LEGO: Build the Models Your Parents Warned You Against!

Well look who decided to join us - good morning, sleepyhead~

Mary just woke up, and isn't quite sure what to do~

She's kind of getting into it~

Mary really likes the Slinky Sam found in his stocking~

Mary with her "need" - a recycled (from the boys) shape sorter~

After presents, and a cinnamon roll breakfast, we celebrated Christ's birth at church, then Grandpa came over for the best ribs ever (our Memphis Christmas) along with Texas toast, corn pudding, green beans with bacon and red velvet cake.