Yes I know the feeling. I think my eldest has sussed too... mind you he is nearly 25........
What Makes Your Christmas A Happy One ?
- Thread starter Bwy
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Our eldest (11) is a non believer this year...totally gutted, but he has quite happily taken on the role as our 'secret santa'.
---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 23:44 ---------- Previous post was at 23:41 ----------
http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/home
little ones will love getting a video message from santa.
We've only got the one and she told us that she doesn't beleive any more
So no more Santa letters, Noradsanta, snowy foot prints, half eaten carrots or drink left out
So no more Santa letters, Noradsanta, snowy foot prints, half eaten carrots or drink left out
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We've only got the one and she told us that she doesn't beleive any more
Forgot to say 11 yr old!!
Just don't export the earth.....
Bwy
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When a child no longer believes in Santa it is the parents who feel it the most not the child. I think the reason is that we have a lot of fun with the Christmas Hype and the children's faces and stories and that is just how it should be.
Once all the children in the family no longer believe then the family Christmas has to change and it is a major change as well.
It starts with the eldest child declaring that Santa is a con but in most cases the eldest will keep Santa alive joining in the game for the benefit of the younger ones.
Even this ends and Christmas changes for ever but as long as we remember that this is going to happen one day and enjoy the children whilst we can, then Christmas is still special.
I have read with deep interest, the posts in this thread and thank all who have taken the time to participate.
One thing which can be seen so clearly is we all enjoy the time we have with our children and family at Christmas.
Once all the children in the family no longer believe then the family Christmas has to change and it is a major change as well.
It starts with the eldest child declaring that Santa is a con but in most cases the eldest will keep Santa alive joining in the game for the benefit of the younger ones.
Even this ends and Christmas changes for ever but as long as we remember that this is going to happen one day and enjoy the children whilst we can, then Christmas is still special.
I have read with deep interest, the posts in this thread and thank all who have taken the time to participate.
One thing which can be seen so clearly is we all enjoy the time we have with our children and family at Christmas.
Peace, Joy, Goodwill to all men (& Women) and remembering the reason for the season.
Simple things like enjoying the company of friends and family, reliving old times, appreciating people. Enjoying a few things I wouldnt bother with most of the year (Jack daniels, chocs etc)
No expensive presents but we keep it simple. I remember a bloke in the newspaper a couple of years ago moaning that he had to buy his two teenage sons an iphone each and pay for the
Simple things like enjoying the company of friends and family, reliving old times, appreciating people. Enjoying a few things I wouldnt bother with most of the year (Jack daniels, chocs etc)
No expensive presents but we keep it simple. I remember a bloke in the newspaper a couple of years ago moaning that he had to buy his two teenage sons an iphone each and pay for the
Bwy
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Yes I agree a good point on spending power and at one time or another I believe every person will over spend on the kids. I also believe this is done out of love for those kids and not peer pressure.
Yes, I also agree the kids are under tremendous pressure these days as they have to face other children who ask what they got for Christmas.
Like Rev, I like to keep it simple and will not over do the budget any more. Been there done that and now have a T shirt for sale. :innocent
I judge how successful it has been by how many times I hear people say....
"I hate Christmas" for whatever reason but usually it is down to the spending or having to come up with ideas for a gift.
One thing which I have to say is a "Wind Up" for me are those who count the Christmas cards they receive and do not hesitate telling everyone the final figure.
All in all, I do enjoy this time of the year. :Y
Yes, I also agree the kids are under tremendous pressure these days as they have to face other children who ask what they got for Christmas.
Like Rev, I like to keep it simple and will not over do the budget any more. Been there done that and now have a T shirt for sale. :innocent
I judge how successful it has been by how many times I hear people say....
"I hate Christmas" for whatever reason but usually it is down to the spending or having to come up with ideas for a gift.
One thing which I have to say is a "Wind Up" for me are those who count the Christmas cards they receive and do not hesitate telling everyone the final figure.
All in all, I do enjoy this time of the year. :Y
I understand you now own a TV?Blimey....what a question....
Bottom line it is around family & loved ones...
Various thing remind you of special times in years gone by.....
e.g. various tree decorations;
Snoopy tree baubles from when we were first married...
with consecutive year dates printed on them...
think we have about 5 consecutive years .. the joys of young love!!!
Hand made decorations the kids made when still at school
some look a bit grubby now but were hand made by a 6 or 7 year old!!!
Some really old decorations me and the wife kept from our childhood..
when proper baubles were made from REAL GLASS...
(Deke will know them)
The "father Christmas sacks" (not stockings) we made for each of the kids out of pillow cases, each has a handmade felt snowman stuck on with copydex and their individual name initial letters on the front...
2 x blue for the boys & 3 x red for the girls
(yep for those that don't already know thats 5 kids total)
Especially our eldest's cuz I stuck the snowman on upside down
so top of pillow case was actually the bottom that I had to cut open and the proper top was sewn back up to become the bottom!!!!!!!!!
p.s our kids are quite big now... eldest 23, youngest 13 (coming on 14 in Jan 2011)
BUT they still have to have their Christmas sacks left out to have presents put in them!!!!!!!!!
Real Christmas tree... one wot all the pine needles fall off..
BUT
has the best real pine smell in the world....
(Got to go and get our tree this weekend!)
You CANNOT beat the smell of real pine drifting from the lounge when you first go downstairs each morning!
:x :x:|
would have saved you a fortune if you had bought it after number 1 never mind 2 or 3 or 4 or 5.................
Well our eldest are 16 now, they are twin girls, have not believed for quite a few years now, but have helped no end in keeping our 10 (11 in March) son a believer, this year has been difficult as the Girls know what they want and we know what we can get them and can afford, and there are good reasons for the presents that they are having.
No 2. daughter is becoming the company photographer as we are going to do a website in the coming year and update our promotional material, in case things go quiet, so I need some good pictures of my work and she is an absolutely excellent photographer so a digital SLR is the name of the game.
Also this means that I also have access to it for company use as some of the jobs I get up to need photographs to illustrate the why's & the wherefores of doing the work!
Steps,
BTW she promised to upload the pics of the homeland over Xmas for you!
I'll keep on to her. (Gently I promise!)
No. 1. daugher, I'm not sure No 1. Wife has sorted that out.
Son again no clue Wife has sorted that too!
I just seem to be working all the time to pay off the debts!
Talking of which got to go and do 2 reports & invoice & 2 quotes today.
Will be back & fore.
TTFN all.
No 2. daughter is becoming the company photographer as we are going to do a website in the coming year and update our promotional material, in case things go quiet, so I need some good pictures of my work and she is an absolutely excellent photographer so a digital SLR is the name of the game.
Also this means that I also have access to it for company use as some of the jobs I get up to need photographs to illustrate the why's & the wherefores of doing the work!
Steps,
BTW she promised to upload the pics of the homeland over Xmas for you!
I'll keep on to her. (Gently I promise!)
No. 1. daugher, I'm not sure No 1. Wife has sorted that out.
Son again no clue Wife has sorted that too!
I just seem to be working all the time to pay off the debts!
Talking of which got to go and do 2 reports & invoice & 2 quotes today.
Will be back & fore.
TTFN all.
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:OSo shes not the only wife you have then???? ?:|
exbdc
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As a devout atheist I am probably one of the few people who hate loathe & detest Christmas.
I think it's just an excuse for rampant commercialism & should only be celebrated by practising Christians.
My ideal would be to go somewhere where I could get up on Dec. 25th & not even know it's Christmas. Trouble is I'd probably have to go to Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan to do it.
Apologies to any members I may have upset or offended.
I think it's just an excuse for rampant commercialism & should only be celebrated by practising Christians.
My ideal would be to go somewhere where I could get up on Dec. 25th & not even know it's Christmas. Trouble is I'd probably have to go to Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan to do it.
Apologies to any members I may have upset or offended.
Bwy
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As far as I am concerned if it is the truth then it does not hurt and you are entitled to your feelings just like any other person is.
If your Christmas is made that much better by doing as you say then go for it man and enjoy every second of it life is no rehearsal enjoy what you have while you can but also allow others do do the same and respect their views as well.
If a person says...."merry Christmas" it does not necessarily mean they are Christian it may just mean they really do want you to enjoy yourself.
:good night:
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Bah Humbug! Toyed with even giving you a groan there!
I think if we strip the commercialism and even religion away you are still left with the season of goodwill. I don't care what your beliefs are it is a good time of year to do a little something for someone local, an old person, a charity etc.
I don't care about the presents, but you will feel a damn sight better about yourself. Doesn't matter a bit if you are Christian, Jewish, Hindi, devil worshipper or atheist.
That's my take on it.
Quite Patch, though I do see both sides.
As you all probably guess I don't do that much domestic!
I had a phone call a couple of weeks ago from a guy, I honestly thought having spoken to him that it was our Badger winding me up!
However, it was not.
It was a middle aged lad (& lass) in a nearby village.
They had lost all of their downstairs sockets. They had contacted the local DNO who sent them to the NICEIC.
Who in turn emailed them a list of local DI's & AC's.
I don't know whether this was before or after they had already had 2 electricians out to attempt to find the fault.
Neither could. The last one wanted to lift all of the upstairs flooring to trace the wires!.
Anyway, I told them I could call but not for about 2 weeks until Sat/Today as I was busy. They were prepared to wait.
(There is a good feeling thing coming I promise!)
They are late risers as the lady of the house it turns out is an overnight respite care nurse for severely disabled children.
Now, I'm a sucker for someone who works in the care professions, as I have had my share of them in my life looking after relatives with various ailments, and I know its a job, but what a job!
They asked me to go there Sat p.m. at around 12:00!
Now Sat p.m. & me being on site working don't go UNLESS there are BIG problems.
Anyway, I went. I already had an idea from her limited description it was a L-E fault, as when they put the circuit MCB on it tripped the board RCD.
Thought I could find the fault in a couple of hours, it took me 3 as I had to move the furniture and climb over loads of stuff.
It was a duff length of spur cable to a s.o. also there was a dodgy s.o.
Anyway all in it was just over 4 hrs so I charged the 4 hrs at normal time, again not like me, but I did forget to tell them the rate up front!
They were so desperate to get the things fixed!
They did not want the cable replacing as the s.o. supplied is not used and did not want the disruption before Xmas.
I forgot to charge them for the bits of sleeving I used putting the sockets back on to cover the bare cpc's that were there & the stickers that were missing on the board, & the missing s.o. screws & I gave them a used, but in very good condition s.o. to replace their dodgy one. (Yes I know I'll have to wty it!)
Also as I was leaving having packed my tools away the lady asked about me reconnecting a single s.o. in the hall fed by trunking directly below the CU. I'd told them how much by now.
As I had promised to return today to put a lug in a metal box as the guy that had fitted the s.o. had broken the adjustable lug and siliconed on the socket face when I dropped the invoice off I said I would look at the single outlet then.
So I returned today fitted the lug, they had just decorated the kitchen and the back box was well plastered in! So changing was not really a good idea!
By the time I got to the kitchen there was a cuppa along side where I was going to work!
Did that, sorted the invoice out, cash, thank you.
Checked the single out and found that it had been reconnected as a spur, but the previous spark had not told them. Doh!
So as I'm going I get a box of chocs & I'm asked to get in touch in the New Year when I have time for a full PIR on the premises & that they have already passed my details on.
So for not invoicing 1/4hr on Sat pm, about a foot of sleeving, 4 stickers, a used s.o. & about 1/4 hr today which I would have probably spent gassing when I dropped the inv. off I have picked up 2 jobs, IF I want them, got a recommendation & got them sorted as they want before Xmas.
Nice I thought, do so little domestic, it probably happens to those that "live & breathe" domestic all the time, but it was a nice touch for me as a change to my normal hard nosed ind/comm customers.
Also... I would not normally have taken this on as I have loads of work anyway, however, them having had 2 sparks in already I wanted to find the fault as I thought it would be a challenge, wrong! Also I thought I would like them to have faith in sparks again!
If it had not been so close to Xmas I may also have had other views, but I did not want them to go through Xmas with an ext. lead from upstairs feeding EVERYTHING on plugs downstairs!
Picked up a plumbing job there too if I want it, blocked outlet line on macerater on the upstairs loo! DO I REALLY WANT THAT ONE!!! (Yes my ins does cover me for plumbing!)
Just my way of saying in 1000 words that there are still some appreciative customers out there. Small gestures I know, but hey!
It to me was a bit of a festive gesture.
Diss me if you want, I don't care!
As you all probably guess I don't do that much domestic!
I had a phone call a couple of weeks ago from a guy, I honestly thought having spoken to him that it was our Badger winding me up!
However, it was not.
It was a middle aged lad (& lass) in a nearby village.
They had lost all of their downstairs sockets. They had contacted the local DNO who sent them to the NICEIC.
Who in turn emailed them a list of local DI's & AC's.
I don't know whether this was before or after they had already had 2 electricians out to attempt to find the fault.
Neither could. The last one wanted to lift all of the upstairs flooring to trace the wires!.
Anyway, I told them I could call but not for about 2 weeks until Sat/Today as I was busy. They were prepared to wait.
(There is a good feeling thing coming I promise!)
They are late risers as the lady of the house it turns out is an overnight respite care nurse for severely disabled children.
Now, I'm a sucker for someone who works in the care professions, as I have had my share of them in my life looking after relatives with various ailments, and I know its a job, but what a job!
They asked me to go there Sat p.m. at around 12:00!
Now Sat p.m. & me being on site working don't go UNLESS there are BIG problems.
Anyway, I went. I already had an idea from her limited description it was a L-E fault, as when they put the circuit MCB on it tripped the board RCD.
Thought I could find the fault in a couple of hours, it took me 3 as I had to move the furniture and climb over loads of stuff.
It was a duff length of spur cable to a s.o. also there was a dodgy s.o.
Anyway all in it was just over 4 hrs so I charged the 4 hrs at normal time, again not like me, but I did forget to tell them the rate up front!
They were so desperate to get the things fixed!
They did not want the cable replacing as the s.o. supplied is not used and did not want the disruption before Xmas.
I forgot to charge them for the bits of sleeving I used putting the sockets back on to cover the bare cpc's that were there & the stickers that were missing on the board, & the missing s.o. screws & I gave them a used, but in very good condition s.o. to replace their dodgy one. (Yes I know I'll have to wty it!)
Also as I was leaving having packed my tools away the lady asked about me reconnecting a single s.o. in the hall fed by trunking directly below the CU. I'd told them how much by now.
As I had promised to return today to put a lug in a metal box as the guy that had fitted the s.o. had broken the adjustable lug and siliconed on the socket face when I dropped the invoice off I said I would look at the single outlet then.
So I returned today fitted the lug, they had just decorated the kitchen and the back box was well plastered in! So changing was not really a good idea!
By the time I got to the kitchen there was a cuppa along side where I was going to work!
Did that, sorted the invoice out, cash, thank you.
Checked the single out and found that it had been reconnected as a spur, but the previous spark had not told them. Doh!
So as I'm going I get a box of chocs & I'm asked to get in touch in the New Year when I have time for a full PIR on the premises & that they have already passed my details on.
So for not invoicing 1/4hr on Sat pm, about a foot of sleeving, 4 stickers, a used s.o. & about 1/4 hr today which I would have probably spent gassing when I dropped the inv. off I have picked up 2 jobs, IF I want them, got a recommendation & got them sorted as they want before Xmas.
Nice I thought, do so little domestic, it probably happens to those that "live & breathe" domestic all the time, but it was a nice touch for me as a change to my normal hard nosed ind/comm customers.
Also... I would not normally have taken this on as I have loads of work anyway, however, them having had 2 sparks in already I wanted to find the fault as I thought it would be a challenge, wrong! Also I thought I would like them to have faith in sparks again!
If it had not been so close to Xmas I may also have had other views, but I did not want them to go through Xmas with an ext. lead from upstairs feeding EVERYTHING on plugs downstairs!
Picked up a plumbing job there too if I want it, blocked outlet line on macerater on the upstairs loo! DO I REALLY WANT THAT ONE!!! (Yes my ins does cover me for plumbing!)
Just my way of saying in 1000 words that there are still some appreciative customers out there. Small gestures I know, but hey!
It to me was a bit of a festive gesture.
Diss me if you want, I don't care!
You'd best run that past Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus..
---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 11:57 ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 ----------
My best times at Christmas is seeing the excitement on the kids faces. I had some great Christmases when I was a kid and I wonder how many of us actually slept on Christmas eve ? not many I bet. Now when I visit my parents, they have some old tree decorations that remind me what my childhood Christmas was like.I must now go and get my tree out of the loft!! :innocent
You are entitled to your opinion. I can fully understand your point about the commercialism. It starts in August with tins of Roses chocs appearing by the palletload in supermarket, then by October its full on. Pressure from kids for expensive presents you can't afford. Clever advertising all around us, price fixing so even though you think its a good deal you are still being ripped off.
But it has to be more than just buying stuff.
As others have said, even if you are not a believer, just be nice for a few days. Carry out some random acts of kindness. Enjoy some quality time with family and friends. Bury the hatchet and forgive people who may have wronged you in the past. I'm pretty sure that it has good health benefits (I won't mention the spiritual benefits as you make your position clear)
Just my opinions but sincerely wish you all the very best this Christmas
James
