gifts

All posts tagged gifts

When You Aren’t Ready for Christmas…

Published December 15, 2016 by Angela

…how can there seriously be 10 days left before Christmas, and I do not even care?

Like I seriously Do. Not. Care.

Tree? Nope.

Gifts bought? Nope.

Caring about these problems? Nope.

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I think I have found my breaking point, and it is trying to buy a house.

I am so crazy busy at work, end of year stuff and packing up my desk to move to a different department…… trying to make sure goals are met for both old and new departments….

Buying a house that is ready to move in; unless if you ask FHA. Did they NOT learn anything from the last fiasco they caused? That last fiasco they caused has had me in this apartment for 8 years.

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My girls want to move. My naughty cats want to move. And I want to move. But good grief; how can you ask me to take out the washer sink in the basement so I can not do laundry? And not give me an alternative?

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I have 2 of my 4 girls still at home. One is homeschooling 10th grade (which is gonna kill both of us), and a 7th grader who I fight with every day to get up and go to school. And I am trying to do everything I can by both of them so we can all be happy.

So can we please just skip Christmas this year?

 

Boy He’s Starting Early This Christmas Season…

Published December 2, 2014 by Angela

…with the phone calls, and questioning when he can get his girls for Christmas. My girls have been rotating the phone for the past 2 hours, taking turns talking to their dad. While I am struggling to get my 13 year old to sit down and focus on the homework she did not do during the day. Because she slept. So as I manage to get her to stay in front of the laptop for more than 2 seconds, this is what I hear…

Erin: “So, dad is going to talk to you, but he wants to know if he can pick us up on Christmas Eve?”

Me: “And when exactly would you like me to celebrate Christmas with you, since he is keeping you for the entire Christmas break?”

Erin: “I don’t know.”

Me: “He can get you early Christmas morning.”

Erin: “………..” (pouty-face-attitude-coming-for-me-within-the-next-day-or-so).

I do not know how many times he needs to be told to ASK ME before he tells the girls something is going to happen. Yes; I am being a bitch. Would you like to know why I am being a bitch?

Probably not. But I am going to tell you anyway.

1) He does not pay child support

2) He does not regularly visit his girls, unless if you consider once a year regular; if so, he is spot on!

3) He has not bought them (or even made them) one single Christmas gift in the past 5 years

4) He does not call them on their birthdays

5) He does not call them until it gets to be nearly Christmas

Now, I completely realize that the presents have NOTHING to do with the true meaning of Christmas. But when they come home from spending the holidays with him and tell me about all the video games and new things he has bought for himself, and they got nothing; yeah, I get pissed. When I had to drive last year for 4 hours in a blizzard with weather warnings to not be on the road because he suddenly had no way to get them home; yeah, I got pissed. So, he can do one of a few things. He can get them when I say he can. He can call his lawyer. Then we can go in front of the judge and he can explain his lack of father-participation in the upbringing of his girls. Or he can show up on Christmas Eve with the misunderstanding that he is taking his girls that early, and then hang out somewhere until Christmas morning.

I need my girls to enjoy their Christmas. In order for them to do this, I need to deal with these issues with their dad without getting them involved. I wish he would be as considerate of their feelings as well.

In Case If You Like Free Stuff…

Published November 8, 2014 by Angela

…have I got an offer for you. I know several of you are already following my blog on books, reviews, and all things book! If you are, I hope you get a chance to register for the two $25.00 Amazon gift cards.

If not, here is the link to the post on my Books & Opinions blog, go check it out if you are interested at a chance at these 2 gift cards. It is one drawing, with the winner receiving both cards, to share, keep, or give as gifts 🙂

You can find that post here: http://booksandopinions.com/2014/11/06/give-away-1-for-your-holiday-season/

Merry Christmas!

Published December 25, 2013 by Angela

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While there are a couple presents under the tree for me this year, there is one gift that can never be compared, and that is the gift of eternal life, thanks to my Savior, Jesus Christ, who was born today, and later died on a cross for the forgiveness of my sins! This gift can never be replaced, returned, and it never gets old or goes out of style. It is the one gift I will never put up on a shelf, and the one gift that I truly thank God for every, single, day.

 

There is nothing better for me than to see the smiles on the faces of my girls on Christmas morning, and I know without my faith and belief in Jesus, I would not be where I am today. To have my health, a secure job, a vehicle, and a warm place to live every day makes me happier than anything else ever could. To be able to provide for my family on my own and take care of all their needs is a wonderful, irreplaceable feeling.

This Christmas season is when I make my resolutions. To worship more. To Witness more. To help others more. To attend my church home more. To tithe more. To be me more. To reach more.

Wait! What Just Happened?

Published December 23, 2013 by Angela

Apparently my body gave up and decided to revolt against my shift-worker-sleeper schedule. After 4 hours of sleep over 3 days, I went to bed last night at 7 pm and am getting up at 11 am this morning. Although I did wake up a few times, it was only long enough to look at the clock, and I went back to sleep.

Either that was some extra-strength Nyquil I took last night, or my body had had enough!. I do not think I have ever slept that long. I have to say, I am feeling super-fantastic right now, and hope this actually allows me to sleep like a normal person for the next several days. It gets real old, real fast, being up the entire night, alone, and then sleeping during the day while my girls are up. The peace and quiet is nice (no girls arguing at 3am) but I am losing half a day, every day, that I do this.

Even though I am used to my shift-worker hours and do like working the odd shift, I hope I can have a “normal” rest of my Christmas vacation! Oddly enough, I feel like I have just lost 1/2 a day of getting things accomplished!

Now I get to bake cupcakes, and a carrot cake, and make sure everything is ready to go for Christmas Eve tomorrow!

Are you ready for the Christmas holiday that got here way to fast? Or do you still need to shop and wrap?

This Is Probably Wrong On So Many Levels….

Published December 20, 2013 by Angela

But I have literally been off from work for 8 hours, and am thinking I need to find a part-time job for 9 days.

I have never, never, in 21+ years of parenting, had to listen to girls fight as much as I have for the last 2 weeks. Unbelievable. The closer it gets to Christmas; the worse they fight. Yet they ask me: “Mom, can you put some more presents under the tree?”

Really?

I am about to return the ones that are already under the tree.

And go shopping for myself.

Honestly, it has been snowing here since Halloween, and I think this is going to be a long season of cabin fever. I have the best of intentions, and the smallest of patience. And the less patience I have, the more they fight. I don’t want to be home having my sleep schedule messed up. I want to go to work at 10 pm, and crawl into bed at 8 am with my earplugs, and eye mask, and “The Hobbit” blaring loud enough in the DVD to drown out my kids arguing.

I am soooo sick of hearing “stupid”, and “idiot” in my house that I can’t even discuss it. When did I become the Mother and Father to such rude children? They weren’t this rude last year, or last month. But I have become the parent of not only children who suffer from being bullied, but they are also the bullies; to their own sisters.

We will be spending every moment that our church is having service at church, and the rest of the time doing things for others who are less fortunate. Because my girls think they have it pretty bad; I think it’s time for them to see what pretty bad really is. It isn’t having to use the same back-pack two years in a row; it is not having a pair of shoes that lets you go to school in the first place.

 

The Wrong Christmas Spirit?

Published December 14, 2013 by Angela

As I am starting to feel some mild stress at the fact that I have visited multiple stores looking for a particular gift, and will be doing the same today (in cold, blowing-snow Michigan weather), I am starting to feel my Christmas Spirit wane. I have to say, I have been feeling particularly wonderful this holiday season, much better than recent years past. And now it is getting to me.

Yes, I do truly understand the reason we celebrate Christmas, and there will be even more emphasis on it this year for my girls. I don’t want them to ever lose sight of the reason we have this holiday. Dessert for Christmas dinner this year? A birthday cake and ice cream for Jesus. I can take them to church three times a week and tell them the story of Christmas over and over, but if it isn’t sinking in, it isn’t sinking in. I think this will help them.

So do I give up looking for this one gift? No. I want to get this gift because this person will enjoy and appreciate it, nothing more, nothing less.

So I feel today is the day I finish all of my Christmas shopping, so I can enjoy the rest of the Christmas season for the reasons I am supposed to, and not be focused on something else.

Do you have a particular thing that stresses you out at Christmas? How do you deal with it?