Christmas Merriment

The Gutoski James family enjoyed ALOT of Christmases this year.  We started the season with a Christmas dinner with Jean's extended family in mid December.  The next weekend it was Tom's extended family.  Then Christmas with Gus's immediate family on the 23rd, Dinner at Gus's Aunts on the 25th and Christmas with my mom and dad on the 27th.  Max and Darwyn got presents at EVERY event.  All I could think through all this merriment was that it was not the way Christmas was supposed to happen.  All of the present opening and yummy food and family was suppose to happen on one big incredibly exciting day.  There were suppose to be food and presents in excess, but only on that one day.

In spite of my reactions though, I was forced to question the notion that Christmas should be one big day of excess.  The kids seemed to enjoy each present much more on the days where they only got one or two.  At Christmas events with many gifts they opened the first gift and started playing with it happily.  Then they discovered that there were more presents and they went crazy ripping them apart, barely glancing at the gift and then tossing it aside.

My sister Teela noticed the same effect, and she commented that she and her husband were going to have to think carefully about how they wanted to set up Christmas in their household.  She thought perhaps they would have a few small gifts across a few different days leading up to Christmas, so her kids would enjoy each gift more.

My mother, on the other hand, was of the opinion that even though the kids don't play with each gift as much when they have many of them at once, they come back to them and enjoy each one just as much later.  What's more, getting all the gifts at once adds excitement.

So here is the question, do you enjoy Christmas more if you get each gift spaced out and savor it?  Or is it more fun to have it all at once, marvel in the excess and come back to enjoy it later?  I bet I could test that.....


And, of course, some photos....sorry they are mostly from my Christmas as we failed to take any other pictures.

Max and Kathrin making Christmas soaps

Bri and Darwyn opening Darwyn's Christmas eve present.  It is a tambourine
from Grandma Sandi, which Darwyn LOVED and shook violently (see video below).
Bri nearly sacrificed her glasses to the event.

Max and Grandpa doing the puzzle Max opened on Christmas eve.

Kathrin and Dennis joining us for the Christmas Eve feast.

Darwyn showing off her zebra costume from Grandma Sandi.  
Grandma made us look at the plump butt of that zebra costume
every two seconds....

Zebra gets a hug from a horsey.

Max and Appa (Bri and David's dog) playing chase.

Darwyn playing with her tambourine.