At this point nearly all our combined siblings are in "real" jobs and are ready to spread the Christmas Cheer. Here we are in year 11. Year 11 of "I'm sorry this year we can only afford to give kids gifts." I feel like a broken record.
Resident salaries do not pay enough to buy round trip tickets for 5. In a way I am happy to be away in our Residency home for the holidays. Our siblings can't go buy us a surprise gift the night before Christmas and make me feel like a jerk for only getting kid gifts.
Another nice thing is that we get to have Christmas morning at our own home. Chad's family is like Peter Pan's Neverland. The adults continue to be kids and their kids are just more to add to the bunch.
I was always sad that we would have Christmas Morning and then the kids were ready to head over to the Grandparents house to have "real" Christmas morning and get their "real" gifts, which were nicer than anything we could afford to give them.
Being away from home means that all the presents are stationed at our house so we get to have the "real" Christmas morning. I guess I'm just eager to build my childrens' Christmas memories rather than keep reliving my husband's.
I DREAM of the day I can buy lovely gifts for all my siblings and the kids all long to open the gift from Aunt Stacie and Uncle Chad because they know it's going to be something really good!
I feel your pain... Coy and I have been putting budgets on everything which also means Christmas. I feel awful because my family will be able to buy nice things for me but I can't do the same for them even though I'm working my butt off at both jobs. sadness.
ReplyDeleteAh, the joys of residency right?!
ReplyDeleteCrappy - but how great is this Christmas going to be for you guys? A lot of stress relieved by not having to "compete"...
It'll be a good holiday :)