Let's do this thing!

Christmas 2009 was a lot of fun. After opening stockings at our house, Hugh's parents, both sets of grandparents and his youngest uncle joined his 7 cousins and remaining two uncle and aunt pairs for a Christmas extravaganza. We wore our crowns from the Christmas crackers all through Christmas dinner and then received presents during our secret santa exchange. A nice twist to the game is that each gift was signed, not with the gift giver's name, but with a clue that had to be deciphered. A crossword puzzle, a poem, a cryptogram, a single word ("bribable" : ). Playing the game was part of the fun!

The kids really liked their presents as well. What child doesn't? At one point someone was trying to guess their riddle and one of the kids, who was waiting to receive his present, said, "I just can't take it any more, it was from me!" Very funny, though sometimes kids get a little worked up over gifts. Heck, sometimes adults get very worked up over gifts. I remember when I was a kid and my brother and I got these matchbox cars from friends of my parents - who totally did not need to get us a gift at all. I got this series of sports cars and my brother got a series of off-road cars, which I thought were cooler and proceeded to throw a fit about not getting the cooler gift. Not surprising, the next year we got the same thing after hearing, "We got you guys the same thing this year, we learned our lesson." (Man, was I a jerk...) Sometimes kids immediately want to play with a gift someone else opened, even if they are holding a new toy in their hand, or throw a new toy to the ground because the next gift is on its way to them! Gift opening sessions seem over stimulating for our receiving sensors : )

What is it about presents that does that in kids? Could it be stopped? Whenever I see behavior in kids these days I try to think of what I would do if Hugh did the same thing or, while Hugh is still a little baby, how can I raise him to avoid it all in the first place. Can selfishness be raised out of my son or is that just human nature being brought out by fancy paper and bright bows? Is it possible to open a gift and really enjoy it, or can it be outdone by something else? Do children in impoverished countries who get little, if any, gifts in their lives act the same way? Would less gifts help my kid? Was it believing in Santa Claus? I can probably blame Obama if I try hard enough . . .


After we opened all the presents and four of the boys got nerf guns we went and had a war in the basement. By chance I happened to bring my nerf gun over as well, the N-Strike Maverick, and had a good time. (See my Facebook album). My youngest nephew, age four, who a mere hour prior polished off and entire turkey leg by himself, exclaimed "Let's do this thing!" before starting our next round and pegging me in in the chest. Enjoying the gift was more fun than opening multiple gifts, and spending time shooting each other in the face meant more (at least to me) than what or how many other things were received. Perhaps in the vein of Christmas simply receiving and enjoying a gift is better than anything, or everything, else that just seems distracting in light of the important things.