A few years ago, we started the tradition of taking the boys to the dollar store just a few days before Christmas and they shop for each member of our immediate family. They love it as they are allowed to pick ANYTHING they want in the dollar store. The only stipulation is one item per person. I keep waiting for someone to pick up the at home marijuana, ovulation predictor or pregnancy test kits and ask me what they are to see if they should buy it. So far, the tests haven't caught any of the boys' attention, even though our store stocks them in multiple places.
Today our Advent activity was dollar store shopping. Jon took Aaron
while the twins were at school and Caleb was having tubes put in his ear
(do we know how to celebrate the Christmas season or what?!?). He took
James & Andrew after school and pretty much just waited for them at
the front of the store while they shopped.
We've tried to keep what they buy a secret from the other siblings and the parents, so it usually involves multiple trips to the dollar store (I mean, who doesn't LOVE multiple trips to the dollar store right before Christmas?). Poor Aaron wrapped his present for Andrew in secret tonight and then inadvertently told Andrew that he could look at "the other army guy" that he bought for James since James was gone. Whoops! Now Andrew knows that he's getting an army guy too. Thankfully Andrew played it off without acknowledging the verbal slip on Aaron's part (are we actually growing up?!?!). Aaron covered his mouth with his hand and went upstairs before he gave away anymore secrets.
The other nice thing this year is that the boys are actually able to wrap some of their own presents. I had to give them some assistance with name tags, but they are able to do bags & tissue paper on their own. They each hid their presents in their room and wrapped them in secret.
This year Grandma Mary & Pa Lynn will be here on Christmas day, so we let the boys pick stuff for them too. Their picks are always interesting and if you ask, they have reasons behind what they picked (but only ask James about his if you have a spare hour or two because he pretty much never stops talking these days). The boys are all convinced that Pa Lynn & Grandma will LOVE their presents, so we shall see. I'm sure Grandma & Grandpa had lots of practice feigning excitement and delight with present opening over the years from their own children (myself included).
We didn't do Daddy's presents yet, so I'll have to take the boys back to the dollar store tomorrow. Today, I'm too tired and its late.
Its a simple tradition but I love this one. I can't wait to see what I got. Last year it was ponytail holders, lotion, and gum.
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