Merry Christmas, everyone!
Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays celebrating old traditions and creating new traditions.
Our tradition is having Papa Price and Grammi Reardon over for breakfast on Christmas morning. Then, unwrapping presents (that were probably just wrapped the night before, if I am going to be honest.)
The boys play while the adults talk and relax. Then, the grandparents leave in the early afternoon and the boys continue to play. Guaranteed little brother, Oliver, tries to take his big brother Jonathan’s toys. Or Oliver will sit down with any new Lego sets and focus on that for a few hours.
I remember those days – the moment you see what Santa brought, wait for mom and dad, open gifts. Then, play for a little bit before getting ready to go to my aunt and uncle’s house in Clarkston.
It will be a calm holiday especially after the week before Christmas. As I sit down for this week’s column, I am taking a deep breath. It has been a busy week – picking up last minute gifts, looking for just the right size Grinch sweatshirt for one of five spirit days at our elementary and everything else mixed in with the holidays.
Mixed in was classroom parties for both Oliver and Jonathan’s classes. Both were the same day but luckily at different times. But, the lesson learned is when there is a sign up, do it quickly. I had filled out one slot in the sign up genius link and when I clicked to submit it, the slot was taken. Sign up, then check calendar. I was able to go to both, it just made for a busy day.
The last of the shopping was done eight days before Christmas. I really feel like I did well in getting everything done. I might be missing a few little things, but I won’t know until I wrap. Plus, there’s remembering the stuff I bought early.
Holiday shopping really began in the spring and summer months. There were times the boys wanted items from stores, and I would say let’s take a photo of it and put it on your wish list. Much easier than when the toy guides from stores arrive – and the youngest circles everything except baby toys and dolls.
I bought gifts here and there. But the buying truly began at the Scholastic Book Fair at the boys’ elementary school.
Nothing like the smell of books, posters, journals and pens to really start the impulse to shop. Naturally I volunteered for the book fair – set up, take down and of course to be there for the boys’ classes and others.
Bonus, I can see what Jonathan and Oliver gravitate towards for books – that pick up, ponder, put down because you want to get something else.
Though for Oliver, who turned six-years-old at the end of December, was pretty much frozen when he walked into his first book fair.
To be honest, what can really prepare you for your school library to turn into a wonderment of books. He picked out the book he wanted to get with his money. Then, had an easier time picking out a book for Grammi to get him – the newest Pokemon handbook, the “Super Duper Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook.” The difference between that one and the “Super Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook” he already has, I have no idea. My knowledge in Pokemon is knowing who is Pikachu and how Pikachu sounds.
My years in retail and being a book dragon really prepared me for these moments and helping students decide what they can really get with the money they have to shop.
On the plus side, going to a book fair teaches sales tax and budget. You have $20 and five books. What do you really want to spend your money on? Do you really need a journal? (Which is more a question I ask myself than the kids and to be honest my need for another journal and buying impulse items probably began at a book fair.)
It reminds me – I really need to write down for goals of 2025 is to buy less books. I don’t know what happened. I know what happened more bookstores opened in 2024 and I felt the need to help the businesses. My to be read pile from 2023 is not thrilled as that pile was moved from the bedside table to the bookshelf with the other books.