Too much is never enough
I always worry that I won't have enough for Joshua for Christmas. Always. I panic. There is never enough money. There are always emergencies the same month that take away from the too little money. And I panic.
This panic is much akin to the panic attacks I have right before Faire. When I am CERTAIN I will not have enough crew. When I am chewing off all of my nails and hiring strangers off the streets of Newark. (DE. Newark, DE. Not Newark NJ - I get desperate, not CRAZY!)
Of course, when faire starts, I usually end up with 1/3 more crew than I need. Every year. Every single year I panic. I beg everyone to come help with set up, because people say they can't do it and it's only going to be me. Then set up day comes and there are 25 people there...saying...give me something to do.
I have no idea how this happens. At this point, I am afraid that if I DON'T panic then the crew won't miraculously materialize again.
SO...Christmas panic. Joshua's dad has been promising me money since June. It didn't show and didn't show and didn't show. So. Panic set in. WHAT am I going to do? Saturday...it showed. Not all of it, but a damn sight more than I had. It's the Saturday before Christmas. I have SIX DAYS. I started yesterday. I am almost done. I mean, so close to done it's scary. And I haven't even spent 1/2 what he gave me. I sat down to inventory everything and I think ... in fact I KNOW it's all going to be fine.
Don't all jump on the - kid's get too much these days - bandwagon. I KNOW that. Truly! But...some things MUST be purchased. And half of Joshua's "gifts" are things he actually NEEDS. Like the shoes and sword for Kung Fu that I am picking up tomorrow (they weren't open today). The D&D stuff (being picked up Wed cause Wed is Woman's Day and I get 20% off at the gamer's store) is NOT needed, but damn he loves it. The $50 gamecube game is NOT being purchased but the $15 prequel to it IS. The $25 coat that would so match all his cool khakis to go to school in is also NOT being bought because he HAS three functional winter coats already (thank god for a large family and lots of hand me downs). The shirts (turtle necks, flannels, and thermals) ARE being bought because he does actually need them. The dictionary is a must. The one I bought him for elementary school is now too ... elementary for him. Stockings at my house include toiletries and such. His soap (yes, he has his own brand, his skin is a pain!), shampoo, deodorant, dental care, etc all go in the stocking. Books I buy and I have an account with credit at the used book store.
So today I sat down to rifle through it all...still to buy: 1 D&D book, Yugioh cards for stocking, Kung Fu stuff. And that's all. And the stocking will be overflowing. There ARE clothes and necessities...but he will also get at least 3 FUN things (I found the ENTIRE series of a now defunct comic that he collects. ALL OF THEM. $200 of comics. For $50 bucks. And I bought THAT during Faire season!) FUN: Comics, D&D, 1 game for the game cube. Functional: Dictionary, 2 astronomy books ($2 a piece!!!), Hardy Boys books, the 4th in a new book series he's reading, clothes, and toiletries.
YAY!
The rest of my shopping list: Mom - DONE (gift AND stocking - oh oh oh Kat I found old movies for $1 a DVD!!! I got her His Girl Friday. The Man Who Knew Too Much,A Star is Born -original, A Farewell to Arms all for $1 a piece! on DVD!), Tom (step dad) - DONE OMG I got SO lucky. Found a collection of FOUR Books with CDs on old blues/jazz singers. For $3 a piece! He is going to LOVE me for $12. Dad - done. Nancy (step mom) - done. Joshua's paternal family (dad, uncle, grands) - ALL DONE and DELIVERED even. Teachers - done. Work - done. Josh - damn close. Bro-in-law I picked in the family secret santa - known and will pick up this week. Niece in family junior secret santa - still to do.
And that's IT. I DO have two people I need to pick up just a little somethin somethin for...but...the Christmas season is until Jan 6th, you know. So I can wait and "find" it.
Oh yeah. Just an FYI? The 12 Days of Christmas? They START on Christmas, not end there. The 12 Days of Christmas run from Christmas to January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings Day - whichever you call it. Ok? It is NOT the month before Christmas. OK? Ok.
This panic is much akin to the panic attacks I have right before Faire. When I am CERTAIN I will not have enough crew. When I am chewing off all of my nails and hiring strangers off the streets of Newark. (DE. Newark, DE. Not Newark NJ - I get desperate, not CRAZY!)
Of course, when faire starts, I usually end up with 1/3 more crew than I need. Every year. Every single year I panic. I beg everyone to come help with set up, because people say they can't do it and it's only going to be me. Then set up day comes and there are 25 people there...saying...give me something to do.
I have no idea how this happens. At this point, I am afraid that if I DON'T panic then the crew won't miraculously materialize again.
SO...Christmas panic. Joshua's dad has been promising me money since June. It didn't show and didn't show and didn't show. So. Panic set in. WHAT am I going to do? Saturday...it showed. Not all of it, but a damn sight more than I had. It's the Saturday before Christmas. I have SIX DAYS. I started yesterday. I am almost done. I mean, so close to done it's scary. And I haven't even spent 1/2 what he gave me. I sat down to inventory everything and I think ... in fact I KNOW it's all going to be fine.
Don't all jump on the - kid's get too much these days - bandwagon. I KNOW that. Truly! But...some things MUST be purchased. And half of Joshua's "gifts" are things he actually NEEDS. Like the shoes and sword for Kung Fu that I am picking up tomorrow (they weren't open today). The D&D stuff (being picked up Wed cause Wed is Woman's Day and I get 20% off at the gamer's store) is NOT needed, but damn he loves it. The $50 gamecube game is NOT being purchased but the $15 prequel to it IS. The $25 coat that would so match all his cool khakis to go to school in is also NOT being bought because he HAS three functional winter coats already (thank god for a large family and lots of hand me downs). The shirts (turtle necks, flannels, and thermals) ARE being bought because he does actually need them. The dictionary is a must. The one I bought him for elementary school is now too ... elementary for him. Stockings at my house include toiletries and such. His soap (yes, he has his own brand, his skin is a pain!), shampoo, deodorant, dental care, etc all go in the stocking. Books I buy and I have an account with credit at the used book store.
So today I sat down to rifle through it all...still to buy: 1 D&D book, Yugioh cards for stocking, Kung Fu stuff. And that's all. And the stocking will be overflowing. There ARE clothes and necessities...but he will also get at least 3 FUN things (I found the ENTIRE series of a now defunct comic that he collects. ALL OF THEM. $200 of comics. For $50 bucks. And I bought THAT during Faire season!) FUN: Comics, D&D, 1 game for the game cube. Functional: Dictionary, 2 astronomy books ($2 a piece!!!), Hardy Boys books, the 4th in a new book series he's reading, clothes, and toiletries.
YAY!
The rest of my shopping list: Mom - DONE (gift AND stocking - oh oh oh Kat I found old movies for $1 a DVD!!! I got her His Girl Friday. The Man Who Knew Too Much,A Star is Born -original, A Farewell to Arms all for $1 a piece! on DVD!), Tom (step dad) - DONE OMG I got SO lucky. Found a collection of FOUR Books with CDs on old blues/jazz singers. For $3 a piece! He is going to LOVE me for $12. Dad - done. Nancy (step mom) - done. Joshua's paternal family (dad, uncle, grands) - ALL DONE and DELIVERED even. Teachers - done. Work - done. Josh - damn close. Bro-in-law I picked in the family secret santa - known and will pick up this week. Niece in family junior secret santa - still to do.
And that's IT. I DO have two people I need to pick up just a little somethin somethin for...but...the Christmas season is until Jan 6th, you know. So I can wait and "find" it.
Oh yeah. Just an FYI? The 12 Days of Christmas? They START on Christmas, not end there. The 12 Days of Christmas run from Christmas to January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings Day - whichever you call it. Ok? It is NOT the month before Christmas. OK? Ok.