I think everyone got what they wanted for Christmas this year and that has always been sort of important for me. I can not get the kids a lot of gifts, but I always want to make sure that they at least get the thing or maybe a few things that they really want. I am already starting to see some drastic changes in what the kids actually want for Christmas. The gifts by far get more expensive and more clothing.

Michelle just wanted a few pairs of jeans and a hoodie, but they had to be from American Eagle. I do not know anything about American Eagle other than it is in the mall and they sell clothing. I also know that it does not matter what they sell that it is the name of the place that Michelle wants to have on her jeans and hoodie. I know when I was a teenager I enjoyed Starter branded stuff, which I believe Starter is now a brand at Wal-Mart.

Patty wanted make-up and I ended up having to get her another iPod, because the iPod I bought her last year disappeared under what we will call “mysterious circumstances”. I did not know what to get and I had to consult with other people to figure out what a 13 year old girl would want. This situation is not exactly unique to this year, because I am fairly sure that I had to ask people what to get her last year as well. I ended up getting her a few things and she seemed pleased with my selections, so I guess I did the right thing for the most part.

Eddy is still the easiest one to get gifts for, because he still wants toys. He did ask for Dragonball Z toys, which are becoming almost impossible to find. I ended up finding a few figures that actually belong to a Japanese board game, but they have an extraordinary level of detail and he liked them, so I guess that worked. Lucky for me he also wanted Star Wars LEGO sets, because those are extremely easy to find. They are still making Dragonball Z video games as well and so I found one of those for him as well.

Grandma just wanted three things. She wanted to be able to get her hair cut and styled, so she got a gift certificate to Fantastic Sam’s. I am not sure Fantastic Sam’s is going to exist for much longer, because I think the Fantastic Sam’s that I got the gift card from is basically the last one in the area. Just thinking about it, because I have been getting my hair cut there ever since I remember. She wanted a way to organize her movies and so she got shelves. The third thing she wanted was ringtones for her phone, but honestly I do not know how to accomplish that task, so that will have to wait for another day.

I think ultimately it was a great idea to have all the kids together for Christmas. They really all should be together as a family for holidays and special events. I do not see any reason for them being apart. Family should be something that is very important to them. I know that not everyone in my family got the benefit of really appreciating having brothers and sisters around all the time and it is generally something that I feel is a real waste not being able to depend on family to be there for you.