It’s begun. There are Christmas trees at the stores. People have begun to rush around with that grumpy puss on, complaining about how they ‘have to’ get this present or that gift for so-and-so. And emails and phone calls from relatives have started to come in about what we want for Christmas. This makes me very uncomfortable. Christmas is not - never has been about - what *I want*. It’s about celebrating the enormous gift we’ve already received in God humbling himself to take human form, suffer for us, and bring us to everlasting life.
Jesus was not born for us to go into debt. Nor was He sent to stress us out for half of every year (between the shopping and the credit card bills). This idea has been on my mind for a few weeks. And I’ve been thinking about how to express it to our extended family who, with enormously generous hearts, always shower us with presents each Christmas. So I came up with the following letter, which I sent this morning by email. I sincerely hope I didn’t offend. I wanted to strike just the right note. I wanted them to know that we would rather have THEM for Christmas than anything else. I did add a list of suggestions because I know that they will still go shopping.
Tell me what you think (and feel free to snitch if you are so inclined):
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I can’t believe that Advent is right around the corner! We’ve been making gifts since summer, and you should see what the kids are making this year!
I’m beginning to get emails about what we want, or what our kids want. Brian and I appreciate your generosity, but honestly, Christmas for us - and for our children - is not about presents. It is about spending time together doing things we love. Please, please don’t feel you have to run out and buy for us. We have a new mantra in our house concerning Christmas; “Jesus wasn’t born to put us into debt”. I also understand that time is at a premium for most of our extended family, so homemade gifts are somewhat impractical - but by far our favorites to receive.
Because space is very limited with six children in a small house, we are being very selective about what we collect, especially toys. I finally decided to go through everything and divest us of much of what we had accumulated over the years. I have decided to keep and collect only a few, which inspire creativity or help in some way with homeschooling. We have opted for toys from natural materials because they are sturdy and beautiful.
We now have about 5,000 books in our home library and have actually begun weeding through and donating some. I think we will mostly be replacing titles that get loved too much, and adding here and there as needed for school - ours or the children’s.
If you still think that you would like to make a gift of something tangible, the best things are consumable. Treats to eat, movie tickets, arts and crafts supplies… Natural baskets, wooden bowls, and bread pans are also very appreciated by me. Brian is hard to make or buy for. I think he’d like a guy’s day out best of all. He needs a break. 
Lastly, pyjamas are always a perrenial need here. I think the kids eat them in the night! I have listed some suggestions below, as well as the kids’ sizes in case you want/need them.
Craft Supplies:
Wool yarns, especially sock/fingering (Knit Picks is our fave - VERY economical)
Knitting Needles
Crochet hooks
Wool batting
Wool felt
Embroidery floss
Cotton, hemp, or jute macrame cords
watercolour pads
rubber stamps
scrapbooking or oragami papers
wood or cardboard poker chips (for math class)
Wood carving gouges
Table-top miniature lathe (for making lace bobbins, wood pens)
Some School Equipment (these can be very spendy, but are exceedingly useful):
Weather Station
Laboratory Microscope
Webcam
Rosetta Stone (any language)
SMALL portable telly - 13″ (the big one is one it’s way to the trash heap)
Kiln
Kids’ Sizes (deleted from the bloggy post!):
Cate -
Jack -
Carrie -
William -
Sophie -
Louis -
Toy items:
Imaginarium wooden toys
Melissa and Doug (especially puzzles)
Magic Cabin
Weir Dolls
Joy’s Waldorf (especially doll clothes/patterns for Honey Doll size)
But the best present of all would be a visit! Drop in for coffee (we might just have some fresh-baked goodies!), play a game, make some craft project with us. I know that Brian would love to have a guy or two around - and an opportunity to pick your brain about some projects he’s stuck with. That darned bathroom has got him totally stumped. In case anyone is keeping track - it’s been 6 years in demolition. LOL!
Love,
Nis
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I should have added, as our daughter Cate reminded me later on, that gift cards are not a good choice for us either. We only shop for food - and that because we have to or we would die. Brian wanted to add that we also wait to buy food until we’re actually famished and there is nothing left in the house 
. Seriously, finding two spare hours in a day would be borderline miraculous. And neither of us wants to spend it dragging six cranky kids around a mall. Anyway, I hate shopping. Have you seen the lighting in those dressing rooms? UGH.
this morning. I always cry when I read it. And at the same spot. You know the one, if you’ve ever read it. 
this week. Well, really she’s hearing it. *I’m* reading it aloud to her so that she can hear the rhythm of the poetry. There are lots of difficult-to-pronounce names in there and I wanted that she shouldn’t get caught on those and miss the beauty of the story.
and the 
and has started in on the plays of 
and seems to be enjoying those.
. He’s enjoying it… and he thought he wasn’t going to like it!
aloud to them this week, too. So many people know the story, but have never actually read the poem. Longfellow really had a way with telling story in verse. I wish I could do that.
, which was a difficult start for me. The anachronisms were initally very annoying to me. As I went on, however, I warmed up to the writing and now I’m sorry to see the book coming to an end.
by C.S. Lewis (recommended to me by 
