Oak-lie dok-i-lee
Nelia is fretting over the prospect that we aren’t going to do Christmas eve gifts.
So…number 1, none of us are going to be together for Christmas eve…
number 2, traditions are something too. and seeing that Sean’s family is all pissed and foregoing tradition, I am kind of poo poo on Christmas this year. it is a bummer.
Chris, Kevin, and I were talking last night…and we decided to take the bull by the horns….and just do it.
We still need to draw names….Ramona?
and agree on a “theme” … Ramona has suggested celebrating obscure holidays (which would totally be fun)… Kevin suggested something (useful) from the autoparts store (we thought Luke would love it 😉 )
So let’s get on the ball folks! Yeah it’s last minute…but get those creative juices flowing!
LOL – Mom & I were just talking today about the same thing, about how we just needed to get it settled and get it going (before it turns into a New Years Eve tradition) 😉
(aside – sorry that you are having issues with the other family, and missed traditions, and all that…. I totally sympathize … we should get on the phone or something and do girl talk 🙂
So ….. themes & names ……
Totally open on both.
There was the obscure holiday idea .. well, not obscure, but out of their time … oh, wait …. Which idea do you mean? There was the gifts for other major holidays (easter, 4th of july, etc.) and there was the gifts for the holidays that don’t have gifst (presidents day, sadie hawkins day, etc.) Which one did you mean?
Auto parts. That would be interesting. And Mom had an idea for getting used books (and I had a revision of that idea that would work So Well if we were all together ……….)(not that I’m suggesting anything for next year or anything). And .. well, ideas abound.
You know, we should probably rotate moderator duties on the Christmas Eve thing. It’s supposed to be so fun and spontaneous, but we spend So Much Time just figuring it out! We should rotate duties of the single person who makes the final call. Just a random thought….
Anysomeafter how, when Mom & I were on the phone, on the ‘it’s the last minute and we need to get this started’ feeling, we did a name draw. We can re-do it, if you guys would like that, but we could also use it, if you want to use it. Up to …. well, up to someone. The moderator would also be the random name drawer.
So ……. well, those are my thoughts. Totally agree on the let’s get it decided and run with it, just not too decision on what destination we’re running to.
Next?
needless to say when Ramona and i talked, we had not read Christina’s post.
Ramona i like your idea of us taking turns deciding the next years theme. (discussion up to the deciding person, but the final decision to be made by
a set date, perhaps Thanksgiving) And we must all agree to be nice no matter how lame or strange the theme is. 🙂
As for this year….. I think the idea that is most generally appealing the other holidays theme that we have talked about for the longest. Lets go with that.
Talked to Chris, Christina and Luke. The consensus is that the giver should pick the holiday. Perhaps at this late date that would be best, even if 2 givers choose the same holiday. We have little time to find and mail gifts, so this would broaden the possibilities.
Acceptable to all?
(Ramona, in case i do not reach you before you read this, Christina pointed out that I had her last year. I traded with you of you do not mind… Actually that gives each household a male and a female from different families. That is kind of interesting.)
Luke -> Ramona
Nelia -> Chris
Ramona -> Christina
Kevin -> Luke
Chris -> Nelia
Christina -> Kevin
Being that there are many many holidays and everyone (I assume) wants to avoid duplication I suspect that the danger of overlapping is small. I know I’m going to pick out a holiday that isn’t a popular one.
yeah i was going to pick a totally “unpopular” holiday, but rest assured…good stuff abounds
we went to the trail of lights here in town…it was really good…highly recommend!
Moderator Notes …..
OK .. I mentioned in passing that it would be good to to pass the buck as far as picking a theme and drawing names and setting whatever else needs to set.
Mom said that sounded like a good idea .. didn’t hear from anyone else, but if others think its a good idea (and I think its a good idea .. even if it was mine) here is what I think might work.
– There should be some sort of physical thing – more or less gaudy, more or less kitchy – with some way to actually write the names of each moderator on it in turn. This way the person has a reminder that it’s their year, and there’s a way to track who all has had the duties over the years.
– I nominate Dad, the clan patriarch, to be the first CEM (Christmas Eve Moderator). I think I should not get it until after everyone else has had a turn.
– Everyone should get a turn before we start repeating CEMs. At the end of each year, each CEM should pick who it goes to next.
– I’m thinking that maybe the CEM should remind people about it, start gathering ideas and such at around Thankgiving. The official idea should be announced December 1st. Does that work for a goal?
Well, those are my ideas. Just a starting point for discussion .. trying to add some structure to a process that seems to be suffering from the lack of it. Hope I’m not sounding as if I’m trying to dictate terms or be controlling, because I’m not. Just sharing some thoughts.
When you guys are together over Christmas, maybe you all can hash out details. I’ve put in all 2 of my cents and more, so whatever you all decide is peachy keen with me.
sounds like a plan to me!
we should get one of those cloth birthday weenie dogs you can “autograph”
I was thinking one of those wooden boards .. with little wooden letters and such posted on it, decorated a bit at time.
Cloth dogs would work too. Exactly the idea!