Do the holidays suck for you?

[tweezers74]

Originally Posted by look 171

I am getting soft in my old age, I am thinking about getting something small for her this year just so she knows that I appreciate her sacrifice taking care of our little kids 24/7

You are not getting soft, you are getting smarter. Your wife will love it, whether it is $5 or thousands because it was unexpected and uncalled for. You will totally throw her for a loop. And just because you weren't looking for it, you are gonna get it. A million times over. That's how us women work.

[Racerbvd]

I hate them, a major reminder of the loss of those who where close, every Thanksgiving was at my Grandmother's, she passed of Cancer, close to 10 years ago, I took her to most of her cancer treatments the last year of her life, then my Father, passed right between the holidays, Dec 10th, completely unexpected, and one of my very best friends & mentor, passed, and when Thanksgiving falls on this year, so I really don't look forward to this time of year..

[look 171]

Now you tell me. I kept disagreeing with her calling me an dumb all these years.

[look 171]

wife and her friends call me all sorts of names because I do not give in and not help with the tree trimming and all that crap. Mrs. Look 171 hangs lights on the roof by herself because she does not like the way I do it. Now, I am completely hands off. The other husbands all say things like "Wow, you don't help with the lights outside?" I know deep down inside, they worship the ground I walk on base on this very fact. Those bastards.

I mention this thread to my wife about how most of the guys here feel similar to me about the holidays, right before she went to put the kids to bed. She rolled her eyes, "Why, is that why they all drive similar cars like you, lazy?"

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by look 171

wife and her friends call me all sorts of names because I do not give in and not help with the tree trimming and all that crap. Mrs. Look 171 hangs lights on the roof by herself because she does not like the way I do it. Now, I am completely hands off. The other husbands all say things like "Wow, you don't help with the lights outside?" I know deep down inside, they worship the ground I walk on base on this very fact. Those bastards.

I mention this thread to my wife about how most of the guys here feel similar to me about the holidays, right before she went to put the kids to bed. She rolled her eyes, "Why, is that why they all drive similar cars like you, lazy?"

Um, no they don't all feel like you do.

[Jim Richards]

Over the years, we have had good-sized gatherings of family and friends. It was a lot of fun because everyone helped out (or stayed out of the way ). Last year, we spent the holidays on the west coast with our son, and we also got together with our friends there. Lots of fun. This year will be just us and my 92yo MIL. After the holidays, we'll go back to the west coast and spend some time with our son and our friends.

I'm like RL, shop online as much as possible. And we really don't do a lot spending on gifts nowadays. The time we spend with friends and family is much more precious.

[svandamme]

i like it, cause it's quiet at work, not much traffic, and i can piss off early and head to the shooting range..

[wdfifteen]

I used to love them. I would get energized and it was a great time. Now I neither hate them or love them, it's just something else I have to do.

One of the best Christmas eves of the past 10 years was the night I got on my old BMW and rode around the area where I grew up, looking at the lights and enjoying the peace and solitude. I rode by the house I grew up in, stopped at my grade school, and stopped and looked at the fields I used to work when I was a kid, remembering the hours I spent tilling and harvesting them. It was a bright moonlit night and there was frost on the fields. I hate to sound so sappy, but it was kind of magical.

[911_Dude]

Guys, no need to stress over Christmas. How soon we forget- The end of the world is Friday Dec 21!!
Huge party at my house on the 20th!!

[Jim Richards]

WhooHoo!

[recycled sixtie]

For all u cranky guys who don't like Xmas, take a stroll down memory lane and ask yourself how much fun u had when u were a kid on Xmas! I am sure your memories would be positive. Now get out there and make it fun for kids and grandkids. Shame on u longfaces.....

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

For all u cranky guys who don't like Xmas, take a stroll down memory lane and ask yourself how much fun u had when u were a kid on Xmas! I am sure your memories would be positive. Now get out there and make it fun for kids and grandkids. Shame on u longfaces.....

i absolutely hated X-mas when i was a kid.

[Dueller]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

For all u cranky guys who don't like Xmas, take a stroll down memory lane and ask yourself how much fun u had when u were a kid on Xmas! I am sure your memories would be positive. Now get out there and make it fun for kids and grandkids. Shame on u longfaces.....

Hey kid....get off my lawn!

[sammyg2]

Do the holidays suck for you?

Nope. Over the years it's become sitch where the holidays aren't about me no mo.
I use them as an excuse to hep other folks and that makes me feel gooder.
Kinda like a pennance I gotta pay every year in return for being blessed for another year.

[A930Rocket]

Never been thrilled with them since my mid teens and we aren't a close family. Having lived out of state for 17 years, family gatherings are a burden once a year.

The bright spot was when the kids were younger. It was good to watch their faces on Christmas morning.

[Rikao4]

Mom & her brothers 'shopped ' bombed houses for present during WW 2..
myself have been elsewhere during the holidays a few times..
now..
I just kick back and try to laugh & be grateful...

Rika

[genrex]

wdfifteen -- thank you for sharing that (post 48).

Definitely food for thought...

_

[Rick Lee]

I swear, one of these days I'll be having a "make it, bake it or we won't take it" Xmas at my house.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Fun but stressful. I enjoy spending time with the family, but it's constant going and always having to adjust our schedule for others. My family is 2 hours N, my wife's family is 2 hours W, so of course each expects us to participate in their activities. Every year it's a negotiation of where we will be on each actual holiday vs days around the holiday, how many days we will stay, etc. Our best Christmas was last year which we spent in AZ, there was no driving, no pressure, just relaxing with family.

One of these years I'm going to hold my ground and demand that we just stay home. Extended family be damned, if they want to see us they know where we live.

[gsxrken]

Wow, someone still gets it. I'd say God bless you, but he already has.

Originally Posted by tweezers74

I am into the holidays because of my boys and all my nieces and nephews. We look forward to the holidays because my father lives in Europe and its the only time he sees most of us and his grandkids. The adults never exchange presents. It's just for the kids. And I love that because my boys still believe in Santa. We have the "elf on the shelf" where this little elf sits somewhere and "watches" them. Every night he flies back to the North Pole and gives a report to Santa. His name is Jingle and I have to move him to a new place every morning. It's so fun to see the boys having conversations with the elf.

We make cookies for Santa every year. We have a cookie making party with all my nieces and nephews and everybody brings some home for when Santa comes to their house. We go to Phoenix Zoo lights every year. Again with all of the nieces and nephews. The adults drag the kids around in wagons with their blankets am we bring hot cocoa in thermoses with marshmallows and drink it in the parking lot after.

We do a lot of family things during the holidays because that's the time we all have off and are in one place. I have three sisters so when I say the family, it's a full house. I love it. Even if I am sitting in a corner by myself watching the kids running around in my own quiet world. This is the time I take a time out and remind myself what's important.

It sucks this year because I am unemployed but the kids will still get Christmas. My sisters and their grandparents will make sure of it. Again, reminds me of what I have and how far my family has come. The first Christmas I remember in this country was when I was four. I got one of those Barbie heads that you do her makeup and hair. It was from the local church and was the only present I got that year. I loved that thing. And I took care of that thing like it was gold. I remember it until this day. The holidays are for kids and family.