Holiday time… yet again?
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- November
- 16
Thank God for CVS pharmacy and its themed displays, or I might never know what holiday was up next. And since the Christmas decorations are already up, I gather we’re skipping Thanksgiving this year. In fact, there were a few Christmas trees on display at a few local department stores before Halloween even rolled around this year.
Well, not to skip over Thanksgiving, but I’ve had my first discussion with my ex over splitting the Christmas presents for my son, so it must be time to start thinking ahead. This is complicated by the fact that his birthday is at the end of this month. He does love books, so there’ll be a dose of those. And he’s rediscovered Hot Wheels cars recently, so there’ll be some of that.
But I’m hearing from some fellow parents that it might be a good time to consider a few alternatives, particularly since a few that I’ve spoken to are seriously concerned about buying toys this year given the seemingly never-ending list of recalls. Obviously, you can select safe toys if you pay attention to recall lists, which many toy stores have available.
Still, I’ve heard some alternative suggestions. Homemade toys are a good idea, and, for older kids, donating to charity in their name is a worthy gift. Or consider tickets to an upcoming holiday event, such as Willy Wonka at the Tarrytown Music Hall. Or a candlelight tour at historic Philipsburgh Manor in Sleepy Hollow. The New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx has several events, including the Gingerbread Adventures and the Holiday Train Show.
If all works out, I’m hoping to include tickets for one of the above in the kids’ stockings this year, although the ability to plan ahead has never been one of my strongest assets. I’d also like to check out the Westchester Toy & Train Christmas Show at the Westchester County Center, which has a lengthy list of upcoming events. Of course, that’s on Dec. 9, well before the holidays. So I’m thinking it might be a good place to get gift ideas. Besides, I think the cat’s out of the bag on the Santa thing by now. Then again, that’s a blog for another day.
This entry was posted
on Friday, November 16th, 2007 at 3:50 pm by Jorge Fitz-Gibbon.
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Sadly, I don’t think Christmas can ever be as much fun for working adults as it is for children, or even more carefree younger adults.
The whole Christmas season is my busiest time at work, and the extra hours and stress have put a major damper on my enjoyment of the Christmas season for a long time now. There is little time for the fun things like you describe, and the need to buy gifts is another big chore on top of an already overdemanding schedule.
I long for a carefree holiday season, when I could get together with family and friends and do fun things, and actually enjoy gift shopping as I once did.
David;
It’s unfortunate that your schedule keeps you from some more enjoyable holiday events. When I was in college I worked full time as a wine salesman, and that pretty much eliminated the holiday season for me. It seemed like we went into work a week before Thanksgiving and came out on New Year’s Day. I remember thinking at the time how difficult that must have been for the family guys.
Now that I’m a parent I’m thankful for the time I do have. So, here’s hoping you can squeeze in a slower-paced weekend between now and the end of the year.
Jorge,
From your mouth to God’s ears.
I’ve already gotten to the point where I do most of my Christmas shopping online because I can’t face going to the stores on weekends with the tremendous crowds.
That’s worked pretty well, but I used to enjoy the bustle of going to the stores, seeing the Santas and decorations, etc. It’s not the same sitting at a computer screen.
Of course, there are the get-togethers with friends and family that are important, but the public Christmas experience, without undue stress, was always an important part of the holiday for me, and that has been missing for some time.