There seems to be a huge culture clash at my house. It usually crops up around holidays. Here, some actual (abridged) conversations around our house.
B- we need to figure out the Christmas list and budget for the kids.
N-what do you mean?
B-well, I want to have about 5 gifts each for the kids so I need to figure out a list and what we can spend.
N-well, that's not how we did it.
B-do tell.
N-my dad just gave us $50 dollars and told us to get what we wanted.
Ok, despite the fact that this would completely ruin the "magic" of Christmas, you know going to bed with an empty tree and waking up to see that Santa's been by. In what world is it a good idea to turn the entire sum of Christmas dollars over to a two and four year old and let them have at it? We would have a house full of bubble tape and permanent markers. While I can appreciate the whole "avoid the day after return line" philosophy of this approach I'm fairly certain it only came into play after Nate, who is the youngest, was able to display fairly reasonable purchasing abilities and his dad was like, "all right, I think they all got it, let the countries govern themselves" My dear husband seems to completely over estimate the kids' brain age in relation to their actual ages.
B-we need to take a dish to my family thanksgiving what do you think we should do
N- WONTONS
B- for thanksgiving??????
N- what were you thinking?
B- I don't know, stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries, you know the usual stuff. What did you have?
N- well, we had a turkey (loaf, I discovered) and then like, chow mien, egg rolls, wontons, fried rice.........
B (stunned) yeah..ok....whatever.
Listen, I don't have to be right all the time. The wontons were a hit and have become new tradition. See I can compromise. But no turkey loaf for me. Easter set off a whole new kind of confusion.
B- I need to get the baskets ready for the Easter Bunny to come.
N- baskets?
B- Yeah, at our house you left your empty basket out and the bunny filled it with small toys and candy and then hid it for you to find.
N- no that's not how it goes at all we woke up an there were small candies and toys around the house.
B- oh hidden?
N- no, just all over the living room floor.
B- (thinking of conceding) oh and then you gathered it up and put it in your baskets?
N- what are the baskets about? We just used grocery sacks.
B- ooooohkaaaay, were doing this one my way.
That sounds like some of the conversations at my house. In my husband's family Christmas presents consisted of a box of their favorite cereal that they didn't have to share with the rest of the 6 children. And instead of birthday cake, they got their very own birthday pie.
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