Is this what Christmas is really about?

With the start of November, came the first of many ads in the newspaper, enticing kids to want every toy available to mankind.  Last Sunday, Toys R Us's Biggest Big Book Ever came in the GR Press and the boys have been drooling over the book all week.  I told each of them to get three different colored makers out and circle the things that they really wanted.  It was quite humerous, to say the least.  

First let's start with Brendan's circled items

Not so bad, I can see way he would want each of these items, some of them he has actually wanted for a long time, but Mike and I just didn't think he was old enough for these items in previous years.  A few days later, he narrowed it down to one item...the Nerf Cannon.

Austin's list of circled items was a little bit longer

 

 

Here's a few that we thought were a little comical.  First Austin said he really, really wants Geo Trax....even though we have tons of them already at home and he doesn't pay any attention to them.

Next, all the boys think they need guitars, even Connor.  But Austin's going to be the rocker of the group.

Third, Austin is wishing for the FREE $10 gift card.  He doesn't really care anything about the fact that you have to spend over $100 on an ipod to get the gift card.  He just wants the GC

Oh, Luc....where do I even begin.  I didn't know that you wanted so many things, but that you also have such expensive taste.  Do we really deprive you that much???

Is the treehouse the Dad built you not enough that now you need 3 more playsets?

I'm beginning to wonder if you think our backyard should look like a park.

And here's where your expensive taste start coming into play...do you really need the $80 easel, when your brother picked out a prefect good one for $35

  

So what's your pleasure, do you really just want play guitar like all your brothers or are you going to venture out and play the drums instead.  (We are going to have a rockin' band some day...)

As parents we want to give our children everything, right? but do we have get a loan to do so?  Do we really need to max out our credit cards just to show them that we love them?  Believe me, our boys will NOT be getting +/- $7000.00 worth of toys that they are wished for, and that doesn't even include anything Connor wants.  

I guess this would be a good time for us for to sit down with our boys and teach them how to be content with what they have and not be greedy and covet  what they see in magazines and on TV.   We seem to get so wrapped up into what we want to Christmas that we forget about Christmas is really all about.  Is there something that your family does each year to show your kids that they will more blessed when they give than when they receive?