It was a Hanukkah bust!

I am happy Hanukkah is over.  I can wait a full year to see this holiday come again at our house. 

I've come to a few conclusions -

1. My kids honestly don't need a single thing.  They don't lack toys.  They don't lack electronics.  My kids are truly blessed with all they have. Having to come up with ideas for more gifts is a ridiculous challenge. 

2. My kids are unappreciative.   They don't know how to show gratitude.  I think you could even say they are spoiled.

3. Waiting until dinner is over, table is cleared, Menorah is lit to then open gifts is not a good strategy for Samantha.  It's been too long of a day for her and by 7:30pm (her usual bedtime) she is done.  Unfortunately, by the time the 7th night came, it was well beyond insulting how she handled opening gifts.

Basically, I gave all the really cool ideas for gifts to the grandparents and aunts/uncles to get the kids.  My dad, stepmother and sister Meghan bought us the new Wii U (THANK YOU!!!), Aunt Elaine and Uncle Howard got Ian the Ryan Zimmerman jersey he wanted and the Stompeez Sam desperately wanted.  All the relatives hit a major home run and the kids loved what they got.

But when it came to their mom and dad (ME!!!) getting them Hanukkah gifts, it was a complete bust.  Each evening, Sam would open her present and then promptly throw it at me, while screaming, "I DON'T WANT THIS!!!!!".  At which point, Jeff would pick her up and wisk her away to bed.  Ugh.  After a good night of sleep, she'd wake up the next morning and start playing/using what it was we got her, but leading up to this newfound joy for her gift was a complete nightmare.

Meanwhile, Ian had a more controlled reaction to his dislike for his gifts.  The night he opened his present to find this really cool book titled, "Best Moments In Sports History", he simply looked at me and said, "Mom, I'm not really into all sports -- just Baseball.  If this book said, "Best moments in Baseball history" it would be so much better.  Um, ok.  A big talk about being more appreciative and having an open mind soon followed that comment.

The next night Ian opened up a short sleeve/long sleeve Redskins shirt combo.  It can be worn three different ways (layered, long sleeve only, short sleeve only).  Ian opened it up and said, "Mom, I really didn't want clothes this year for Hanukkah."  Um, ok.  My response?  "Boy, are you going to be disappointed then when you open up the present with pajamas in it."  Ha! 

The icing on the cake came when Ian finally picked the package that had the remote control helicopter in it.  This was the one and only thing he had been asking us for months.  He got so excited when he saw it in the box and quickly opened it.  We soon found out that the model I picked was very high maintenance and required downloading a special app on the iPad, charging 2 different parts of the helicopter using the computer and figuring out the rest of the incomplete instructions on how to work it.  Ian's happiness quickly turned into disappointment.  Meanwhile Sam is throwing her outfit she got for the Bitty Baby at me and screaming, "I DIDN'T WANT THIS!!!!!".   Before I can answer Sam, Ian chimes in, "WELL AT LEAST YOURS WORKS!!!".   Lovely, right?

By the end of Hanukkah, we were down to the Washington Nationals Kepah for Ian and the matching American Girl doll/big girl outfits.  When I told my friend Jen how Hanukkah was going and what we had left as presents, she burst out laughing (and rightfully so!) on what Ian's reaction would be when he opened up the kepah.  Believe it or not, this turned out to be Ian's most favorite gift from us.  Go figure, right?

In any case, I am done.  So happy this holiday is over.  I'd much rather not spend a dime on gifts and put all the money towards a family experience/trip of some kind.  We plan to do Great Wolf Lodge again and kept some of the money we'd put towards the kids gifts to spend staying at the Water park.  Maybe next year, all of it goes towards that.  Or, you know, 8 nights of underwear.  :)