Did you know that Bob the Builder was the Inn Keeper? It was left out of the Bible but the Inn was really crowded and he was hired to add on to the Inn..... a little too late I'd say....also the Angels weren't all "angels".....
some were kind of "punks" if you know what I mean and just happened to be tapped for the assignment of singing to the shepherds...
Simple Christmas, with simple gifts are the best. When you can get all the wrappers and paper for 8 people into a regular kitchen garbage bag.... you know it was GREAT!!!!!
If you are going to scrimp on "stuff", you might as well make some memories. Sea World for Christmas is a very uncrowded and fun place to help children feel like their dad isn't such a freak and a grinch :) for having a modest Christmas.
Kids hopefully will remember having fun together and maybe this kind of Christmas will be a preferable one than the ones where they can't hardly stuff the "stuff" into an already stuffed bedroom filled with the last few years of "stuff".
It is real hard work watching the kids at Sea World. Good thing Mr. Grinch (C) was well rested for the task.
San Antonio is right around 70 degrees at Christmas and the river walk is a very quaint city feature. I feel blessed that I don't live in a city and that I never will again, but some of them have some quaint draws and the river walk is a super unique attraction. We loved it and it made a very nice Christmas activity.
I am such a horrible dad. I don't buy each of my kids a drink at Wendy's. Thus they are on it like a pack of lions on a wounded antelope....
When you are the smallest lion at the "kill", you get left with the "bones".....
The third child had his 7th birthday in San Antonio and we celebrated by eating at Wendy's and then getting ice cream at Braums. Kids love ice cream even at Christmas, and Braums has fantastic ice cream!
Kids behave best when they are "properly motivated" at Christmas. Some parents tell their kids that Santa won't give them presents if they are bad. My kids don't buy it because they know that the Grinch doesn't believe in lavish gift giving at Christmas. So I found a new motivation.....I screamed to the whale trainer that when they were out of the fish-in-the-pale that I had some fighting kids that I'd be more than happy to feed to Shamu. Then like magic, happiness and love filled the arena and WALA, "good tidings and peace on earth again".....In TOTAL:
1. Free tickets to Sea World
2. Gas $1.34-1.49/gallon
3. Temporary Housing at the Air Force base for a family suite $41.50/night including tax
4. Bringing left overs/food from home and recooking them in the kitchenette-very economic
5. Eating smuggled tuna fish sandwiches at Sea World that didn't come from "dolphin free tuna"-very economic AND insensitive
6. Family togetherness instead of "stuff" at Christmas - very economic and fun
7. Obedient kids thinking that their dad will throw them into the killer whales-PRICELESS
15 comments:
Sounds like a Merry Christmas in Texas! Can't say being a Grinch is always a bad thing, I am working on it too. If your roads ever lead through Iowa, stop on over!
Loved it!!!!
This was a great post. I especially enjoy the dolphin-killed tuna fish.
I love Sea World. We went to Disneyland, and it was a freaking CIRCUS! You win.
I almost made it through the Christmas video the second time. It is funny. I can't believe what little monkeys your kids are, its a miracle your house is still standing.
Can you email me dad's tamale recipe? mollywalkercda@hotmail.com
Is dad still there?
So funny! That reminds me of the time when my parents took us kids to China and they would tell us if we didn't obey them and hold their hands everywhere we went then the locals would steal us and use us for child labor... that scared me enough into submission!
Good job on keeping Christmas to a minimum! We got your cd and have been waiting for the inlaws to leave so we can relax and watch it! Thanks!
Hilarious! Your kids look like they had a ball. How fun! I'll call you soon.
omg..I'm laughing so hard..
That was the best! I'm glad you all had such a fun time. Those memories are so much better than any presents they open on Christmas day. Not having to clean out closets for more stuff is an extra bonus!
Looks like a Christmas you'll not soon forget! Love the pictures.
Yah, I'm pretty sure when we had to "stop real quick at Walmart" on the way to my parents on Christmas Eve Caleb was buying my Christmas present. You're not the only one who has a hard time with the jolly season. I still can't get Caleb to ask for anything other than socks and bullets because that was the only thing he got growing up.
Sounds like fun to me.
I'd MUCH rather have a memory to having stuff that I have to pick up and put away or listen to crying kids when it gets broken! Our memory this year was barfing instead of my family's trip to Disney Land. Oh well. My kids still didn't get much stuff. We did manage to get much needed socks, undershirts and underwear to count as gifts. I wonder how long that will fly! Great Memories...
I don't remember much about the "things" that I got growig up--the ones I do are the homemade gifts that we made for eachother-- I still have the jewlery box Andy made for me and the necklace that Aimee made- but more importantly I remember the "things" we did as a family- especially the gifts of ourselves that we gave to others--dropping things on peoples doorsteps and high tailing it before we got caught---and of course My Grandma Brown's carmel. Yes Sherdo- you are probably ruinging your kids- but in the best way possible--- keep it up Mr C.--- Love you Airica
Looks like a great Christmas to me! What a fun memory! Nice family pic. too!
Sherdon, my mom used to give us each a box of sugar cereal for one of our xmas gifts. We NEVER got sugar cereal growing up so it was one of our favorite gifts and one we looked forward to. Firearm update: just bought Jenny a Ruger MKIII .22 pistol, I know I will use it mostly but I wanted to have one that she could shoot and have fun.
Mike
You're killing me! It's been since DECEMBER that you've updated. Come ON! What are you like a doctor or something?
Post a Comment