Last night was the first night of Hanukkah. Jeff and I have successfully navigated another holiday not buying a single gift for either Ian or Sam. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of gifts for them to open. All the grandparents and aunts/uncles are very generous and fulfill every wish for anything they want. Even the kids realize they really don't need a new toy or game. Ian and Sam always have requested practical things that are useful -- Sam got unicorn onesy pajamas and a bathrobe among other things, and Ian wanted a very expensive pillow we refused to spend the money on or a new case for his phone.
Jeff and I have moved away from wrapped presents and concentrate more on an experience. Time with the family doing something different than our usual day to day. An adventure!
This year, the kids are getting two trips as part of their Hanukkah gift from us. I am taking the kids to NYC for 2 days during Winter Break. We are being joined by two of my most favorite people and their kids for a whirlwind couple of days doing all things Christmas related (Rockettes Christmas Spectacular Show, seeing the tree at Rockefeller Center, checking out the window displays on 5th Avenue and we have tickets to "School of Rock".) There are 3 moms and 8 kids total (all Jewish!) getting our Christmas fix NYC style and we can't wait!
The next part of their gift we have planned occurs during Spring Break. We are hitting the road and making our way to Niagara Falls and Pittsburgh! I have wanted to do Niagara Falls for years and Jeff has wanted to do Pittsburgh with the family for years. We've combined the two and will be visiting at the end of March. Exploring new cities and doing all the typical touristy things is where we excel.
I hope Ian and Samantha share our view about Hanukkah and enjoy our trips. They're not extravagant (far from it!) and are pretty down-to-earth (think the Griswold's minus the dead grandmother on the roof), but they are fun. And we are spending time together. The best kind of present of all.
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