Thanks, more thanks, and Linky Love

Thanks all for commenting yesterday on my gifting dilemma. I would love to suggest giving up the gift exchange, but Hubs family is really small....it's just him and his mom and sis. I did give fair warning of our budget restraints this year, and told A not to worry about buying for us if she just wanted to shop for the kids. We'll see what happens. It's Hub's happiness that I'm really concerned about. Countless holidays have been marred by temper tantrums, and even though he keeps his silence I know it breaks his heart. We've made the decision that we won't expose our children to that, but having to kick his family out of the house on Christmas Eve? I'd rather agonize over a gift and keep the peace.

Laural, Kristen - I hear you. My mother-in-law took the reverse tack. The first year Hubs and I were together I asked for longjohns, because we going skiing in Quebec for New Year's and I hate to be cold. I told her I didn't care what brand, but I needed size L. When I opened my gift on Christmas Eve it was a really nice pair of Hot Chilly's longjohns, size M. I figured she'd forgotten my size, and I could easily exchange them, so I just smiled and thanked her sincerely. She looked me up and down and said "I opened up the size large, but I didn't think anyone could possibly be that huge." Nice.

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Veronica over at Sleepless Nights has started a forum. If you've never read her blog you should check it out, it's smart and funny. She's a young mom in Tasmania, (her daughter Amy is just a bit older than Bad). I love comparing notes with another mom, but even more I love the glimpses into her life in rural Australia, a country I've never been. Actually, it would have been the perfect spot for all of this gifting discussion, but I didn't think of that until now.