We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.

Christmas is here and I have LOTS of opinions about it.  I've never been financially wealthy so I've never been a fan of the spending craz' that happens this time of year.  In fact there was a few years in my past I even used the word 'hate' and Christmas in the same sentence.  However, times have changed.  I am a Mother now and I started to be the 'pooper' this time of year and had to be reborn!

Our first Christmas in Ohio was amazing!  I'd never been a part of a family that did so many gifts for Christmas - my Mother in law had never been a Grandmother so she decided spoiling was her game - and we didn't mind but our son, well, he had to take a nap in the middle of opening presents.  Yes, it was that crazy!  As the years have gone by - we have all simmered down on the spending, the gifts, and the time it takes to open presents.  My Mother in Law still completely spoils the children and my husband and I but it's better in a calmer sense.

I thought I would blog today my tips for Christmas with kids and my top ten favorite toys... 

Tips for Christmas

• START A NEW TRADITION for you and your family.  We have friends who instead of sending out Christmas cards they make a Christmas CD for us.  WE LOVE IT and them and look forward to it each and every year.  Our house has the tradition of Mexican Hot Chocolate with whip cream throughout the month of December- I spend two dollars on whip cream and let the kids put it on and I am seriously treated as a Queen.  We also have the tradition of going to the Columbus Zoo for wild lights,  watching Charlie Brown Christmas & ELF, whatever it is - just talk it up and bring it up- year after year after year.
• INCLUDE EVERYONE!  This is crucial.  I find that sometimes it is easier if I do everything myself, decorate the tree, cook a special meal, shop for everyone's presents - but then I become overwhelmed and bitter and one thing I've learned, especially as my children are now 10 and 7 - THEY want to help.  They want to decorate the tree, help bake, and especially pick out presents and wrap them for one another if for nothing else but to tease one another with the information for twenty some days.
• READ Holiday books ALL MONTH LONG!  I have a special collection of my own Christmas books to read during this month and my kids love it.  I just box those books in with our Christmas decorations each year and wha-la, out on the bookshelf they go.  I would strongly suggest getting books on Hanukkah too.  If you don't have any, well, my suggestion is Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah, by Sylvia A. Rouss.  Or check out your local library - they always have a holiday section and if you are living in Ohio - THE WESTERVILLE LIBRARY ROCKS! There are several Bernstein Bears books about Christmas that I like, traditional books like night before Christmas, and Lemony Snicket book about The Lump of Coal, Arthur's Perfect Christmas is so good they read the book and play the movie in schools everywhere!  A new night time favorite of ours is Where did they hide my presents?  A group of silly songs about Christmas - great for all ages.  A few years ago my son thought Napoleon Dynamite was the funniest thing ever and I found a book called Napoleon Dynamite: The Twelve Days of Christmas, this was such a hit it too went into our decoration box.  Get some books on Kwannza too!  I had to give a presentation at Otterbein University last year on December holidays and found out lots that I didn't know.  It's important to tell your kids 'truth' - A professor created Kwanzaa to help build a community up and celebrate family, community, and culture.  Isn't it tragic that I didn't know that fact until my thirties! 
• Christmas Movies!  As soon as your children are old enough start watching a few Christmas movies - Elf is now a family favorite in my house.  Last year was the first time I had EVER watched A Christmas Story and I finally 'got' the 'you'll shoot your eye out' line.  Don't let your kids grow up confused like me!  Whatever your beliefs or style, remember YOU are creating your family history this month!  Tons of pressure to make it cool, who knows - maybe one of your choices from above will help your future daughter or son in law pick your casa for Christmas!  

Here is my most important TIP for Christmas...

• Explain CHRISTmas.  I think it is important to tell your children, regardless of your religious beliefs what the original idea of Christmas was.  There will always be debate whether or not the birth date of Jesus is on December 25 but it was begun to celebrate the belief that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of world, and that was the primary reason in celebrating Christmas.  (in Short, not about a big white man in a suit of red overeating and spoiling little ones who have chimney's)

Christmas is a PERFECT opportunity to throw in EDUCATION!  If your child needs to work on speech, buy a microphone, fine motor skills - get clay for her stocking, is large motor a concern?  Get a membership to gymnastics!  This is the TIME to use it while you can - and oh yeah, us teachers we USE this time to buy things our kids might one day outgrow so we can use in a classroom!  Here is my list of top ten presents!

1. Melissa and Doug toys.  They are amazing, the art supplies, the cutting food, the pizza, the birthday cake, oh my Gosh, I love all of it.
2. Memberships!  Oh yeah, the zoo, the museum, Franklin Park Conservatory, the local community center, gift card to Sky Zone, or other similar fun outings, etc.  These are great from Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, & friends.
3. LESSONS!  Art, Music, Gymnastics, Judo, dance, you name it, someone locally is offering lessons in it!  
4. Leap Frog rocks.  My favorite for little ones is all the phonic stuff - fridge phonics, writing lettter stuff, etc.
5. Legos - I won't go into how incredible this toy is for me but... um, yeah, just get your kids interested in legos.  They rock.
6. NERF!  So I went YEARS without letting my son or daughter play 'guns'  Then it happened, a Nerf gun came into our life and we have had so much fun.  We have rules and we follow them but the fun - I'm serious, is addicting!  In November - we added Nerf swords into our lives and love them!
7. Books!  They are crucial to have around and to encourage more reading time less DS time.
8. Subscriptions!  Magazines, book clubs, you name it - give it as a gift!
   
9. Ornament!  Yes, sounds boring but I found if I start giving my children one, by the time they move out - they will really have something to connect them to our past.  Some of my children's favorite ornaments are ones they remember getting at 2 years old and 3, crazy but true - they were only allowed to hold the fragile thing for a few days before I wrapped it up and put it in the Christmas decoration box and it left an impression.
   
10. PERSONAL GIFT!  It could be a family photo framed for their room, a bag of popcorn and a coupon for a date night at home, or a nerf sword with a coupon for a battle to remember!  What ever the gift, remember you are creating these family moments!  Make them rock!