Well, it is December.  We made it through fall and Thanksgiving relatively unscathed.  Maddie will be 10 months old in a couple of days and Charlie is officially 2 1/2.  This Christmas is going to be super fun, if I can survive the shopping rush without turning into one of those crazy moms fighting over a Rocking Elmo in the middle of Wal-Mart.

I have always looked down on parents who over-buy for their children.  I’m sorry, but spending hundreds of dollars so each of your children can have 20 presents from Santa is ridiculous, and I will stand by that opinion.  However, I can definitely see how easily one can be drawn into the bad habit of overdoing it with the gifts.  Everything I see I think, “That would be perfect for Charlie,” or “Maddie will love this.” The thought of their smiling, gleeful faces on Christmas morning sends me straight for the American Express.  I consider myself to have quite a bit of self-control, so I know that showing restraint in this area must be really hard for some people. 

I have had to just make myself stop at this point.  Charlie is getting an Elmo, workbench, train table, legos, and some stocking stuffers.  Maddie has a ball popper, Bitty Baby, a wooden bead toy, and some other little toys.  That’s enough, right?  Of course it is.  I just have to maintain a calm, cool composure and forward all future ideas to the two Gagas.