Kyle's Christmas Presents: A Tale of Unfortunate Events

[janetupnorth]

So, Kyle got about 4-5 presents total for Christmas (we were going with a simple cheap Christmas this year).

He got:

A HUGE Nerf gun from his cousin (cousin exchange - each draws one name).

A Catepillar train set from Grandma and Grandpa.

A Crayola Cutting Board Set from us.

A few shirts...

Anyway, DH puts the gun together...it came without a front trigger piece. I called Nerf this a.m. and they are going to replace it, but it is unavailable and on backorder.

The train set didn't run. DH took that apart and found a wire disconnected. Kyle has to wait until Daddy gets the soldering iron from camp and can repair it.

So, we try to play with the cutting board. I cut one circle and it fails and the blade sticks out. I tried to take it apart but something appears messed up in the main part of the wand where I can't get to it. I can tap it and it will work for 2 seconds then dead again. I don't want kids using it with the blade sticking out. Crayola isn't open until Monday so I had to send an e-mail.

We just did not have good luck this year...

Luckily, there are STILL plenty of other things to play with around here and lots of snow!

 

[Chef Kearns]

Man, that sucks!! I hope he's not too disappointed.

 

[rennea]

Oh that's so sad

 

[janetupnorth]

He's taking it all in stride now that we let him play with the gun even though he can't use the front part. There were a few tears yesterday (he's a sensitive boy)...but a family movie night with popcorn solved that.

 

[dianevill]

Still sad, though. No broken toys for us this year, but a magic kit that we bought my daughter was really, really cheap (well, good thing it WAS cheap - LOL!)

 

[ChefBeckyD]

We had a smaller Christmas this year too. I know Micah would be crushed if his toys that he got weren't working. Poor Kyle!

He got a corn planter for his John Deere tractor (toy size - but still large!)

several books - we've been reading those this morning,

an Orange Daytona w/ a Hemi engine. This is something he saw in one of DH's car magazines, and wanted badly. He has been talking about it, and asked Santa for it. Fortunately, DH had the exact one he wanted NIB in the top of our closet....it had been sitting there for several years - so we didn't have to buy this gift!

the DVD - Wall-E which we are watching for the 2nd time right now!
A new Sleeping Bag!

From his cousins on my side, he got some Hot Wheels cars w/ a Car launcher
From cousins on DH's side, he got a Ferris Wheel K'Nex set
From Grandpa & Grandma D, he got a huge Lego Set, and a toy Jeep
From my Mom, he got a Keyboard.

 

[heather223]

I could send some of my kids new toys your way! Seriously mine got so much that it isn't even funny or right..... And sadly it wasn't from us/ Santa. It was from Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles on my husbands side. I am apprecitive, but really it just wasn't wanted needed.

Needless to say this Christmas was disheartening for me. Too many not needed things were bought, too much fighting, etc.

Sorry to go on about this... I just can't stop thinking about it. I know I shouldn't be complaining, but it just didn't seem like Christmas to me.

 

[janetupnorth]

I forgot, we did get Wall-E as a "family gift" from DH's parents. That is the movie that made him feel better! K'nex - he'll have a BLAST with those. We don't have any, but they are fun!Kyle liked playing with Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs at the sitter's house.Luckily today he is keeping occupied with the parts of the gun that are functioning.
Sammie is outside building forts in the snow and diving in it. Her words were, "Mom, we can't waste all this good snow!"...and on that note, with all this fresh snow, I think we should make snow ice cream today!!!!!!

 

[janetupnorth]

I could send some of my kids new toys your way! Seriously mine got so much that it isn't even funny or right..... And sadly it wasn't from us/ Santa. It was from Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles on my husbands side. I am apprecitive, but really it just wasn't wanted needed.

Needless to say this Christmas was disheartening for me. Too many not needed things were bought, too much fighting, etc.

Sorry to go on about this... I just can't stop thinking about it. I know I shouldn't be complaining, but it just didn't seem like Christmas to me.

Hey, I understand! They didn't get a TON but got more than I wanted. One nice movie or game and they are just fine. We have too many toys around the house to play with! But no matter how much I try to tell my in-laws they save and "spend equally" on the kids and INSIST on getting stuff.

Today (soon!) I am going through clothes to take to Goodwill tomorrow and my kids are actually BEGGING to go through toys with them so they can give them away to kids who need them.

We have too much stuff in our 2 bedroom house!

 

[chefann]

I could send some of my kids new toys your way! Seriously mine got so much that it isn't even funny or right..... And sadly it wasn't from us/ Santa. It was from Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles on my husbands side. I am apprecitive, but really it just wasn't wanted needed.

Needless to say this Christmas was disheartening for me. Too many not needed things were bought, too much fighting, etc.

Sorry to go on about this... I just can't stop thinking about it. I know I shouldn't be complaining, but it just didn't seem like Christmas to me.

I know how you feel. We had a small Christmas this year, and my FIL was totally grumpy about what we got him and MIL. A bunch of us went in and got him a GPS that he can use for his bird shows. He said that he'd never use it. So DH is going over there this weekend to see if he was exaggerating, or if MIL is planning to use it. If not, we're taking it back, returning it and giving everyone their money back. And FIL won't get a replacement gift. :grumpy:

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Hey, I understand! They didn't get a TON but got more than I wanted. One nice movie or game and they are just fine. We have too many toys around the house to play with! But no matter how much I try to tell my in-laws they save and "spend equally" on the kids and INSIST on getting stuff.

Today (soon!) I am going through clothes to take to Goodwill tomorrow and my kids are actually BEGGING to go through toys with them so they can give them away to kids who need them.

We have too much stuff in our 2 bedroom house!

That's exactly what we have been doing today! I have 3 boxes of winter coats and clothes ready to go, and now we are working on Micah's room.

Our house is about the same size as yours - there just isn't any room for excess anything! New toys mean old toys need to go!

 

[dianevill]

We just got back from Goodwill. We have a small house, too. The rule is "for every new item, one must go." So a new toy means one old one must go to Goodwill; same for clothes (although we definitely give more clothes than we get since the kids grow out of them). It's been our rule for years now and keeps the clutter in check, as well as helping those less fortunate than us.

 

[janetupnorth]

I love the rule and have wanted to implement it, but I truly lack in time at home so things gather. I'm tired of "stuff" around though and not finding the things I need quickly so I'm working on "decluttering" the basement!!!!I have 2 bags for Goodwill so far, 4 for the trash (things with stains, tears, etc.) and I more for Goodwill almost ready. I'd have more for Goodwill but some of Sammie's old clothes are going to fellow camp staff who can use them.

 

[Sheleif]

We need to take things to the Goodwill too. I have a lot of decluttering to do all over the house but I am starting in the kids' room so that the new things they got for Christmas can go in.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

We just got back from Goodwill. We have a small house, too. The rule is "for every new item, one must go." So a new toy means one old one must go to Goodwill; same for clothes (although we definitely give more clothes than we get since the kids grow out of them). It's been our rule for years now and keeps the clutter in check, as well as helping those less fortunate than us.

That's what The Kat Lady says to me about cars, but then I point out to her that I'm only up to the letter C on the Collector plate. She still insists that I have to sell a car before I can acquire another one.

(For those of you outside our state, when you have old cars, you can be assigned a unique number for a license plate that says "COLLECTOR" on it. The plates are non-expiring, since we don't drive them every day. Each succeeding car gets the same number with a letter. A friend of mine is up to Z, so I have a ways to go.)

 

[esavvymom]

Least the littler ones are easy to distract and move on to something else....

 

[pcchefjane]

Sorry about your son's toys! That is so hard on a child. My 2 yo grandson got a big tub of 35 Playdough gadgets with 10 cans of Playdough. He loves it! His aunt and uncle he sees once a year got him a "Cars pop-up tent" and he has had so much fun in it! Santa brought him a bag of 100 lego blocks; he even "built" something before he left! My DS & BIL sent the kids gift cards so my DD bought them something with them. She got Josiah the "Brown Bear Polar Bear what do you see" game. Those are two of his favorite books by Eric Carle. The game is 3+ and he is 2 but he understands the matching part of the cards to the pictures on the board and can name all 16 animals so he is doing well. We found him a wooden Nativity today at Lifeway. He loves my ceramic one but I am afraid he will break it. It was 1/2 price so that was good too! Ali said she is going to go through toys and clothes as well to take to Goodwill. We have 3 bedrooms but it is very crowded with 3 adults and 2 children here!