Post edit: This post is not meant to condemn anyone who has given their child a Nintendo DS or DSi.  I do not oppose gaming devices in general, however, at this point in time they are not right for our family.  My intent in posting this is not to make anyone feel bad but to get feedback on what the heck to buy my children for Christmas!!!

Carry on…

Hey guys.  So Christmas is around the corner.  I’m not sure if you were aware of that fact.  I mean, you know, if you’ve been hiding under a rock you might not have realized, but for the rest of us who are already being bombarded with decorations and music it’s pretty dang hard to ignore.

Christmas is coming and somewhere someone’s goose is getting fat.  Poor Thanksgiving…it is the forgotten holiday.

So here’s my yuletide dilemma.  My seven year old is at the age where gift buying is becoming a bit difficult.  He still  likes toys (praise God), but he’s not as easy to please as he once was.  I believe we have one more year before buying gifts to satisfy his maturing tastes will become harder…and more expensive.

This year, he has his sweet little heart set on a Nintendo Dsi.  He talks about it incessantly.  He wants to check them out every time we enter The Holy Land Target and he tells everyone he sees that he’s getting one for Christmas.  Here’s the thing, though.

He’s not.

Lee and I have decided that right now we are not ready to introduce hand held gaming devices into our children’s lives.  There are a couple of reasons for this:

1.) I just don’t think it’s necessary at seven to have a Nintendo Dsi.  I’m not opposed to them, but I find it to be an awfully expensive gift for such a young child.

2.) I think there are better things to do with one’s time than play video games.  We have a Wii and it gets played some, but repeated and extended periods of play are off limits.

3.) I am not ready for the battles that will inevitably come with a NDsi (don’t want to type it all out again).  Sloan is actually very responsible when it comes to TV and video games.  He does not have much of an addictive personality and he is not one to sit for hours with his eyes glued to the tube.  He gets bored and loses interest quickly and can go months without playing the Wii at all.  Landon, however, is already showing addictive tendencies in that he wants to watch TV or play the Wii all the flippin’ time.  It’s already a daily battle with him resulting in many tears shed.  A NDsi would inevitably become a battle zone between Sloan and his siblings and, quite honestly, I can’t handle one more battle.

Are we being unfair?  I don’t feel like it, but it really does break my heart not to give Sloan what he wants because he’s such a good kid.  I tried to break it to him gently the other day that this year would likely not be the year he received an NDsi.  His reponse?

“That’s okay.  I’ll ask Santa to bring it to me!”

Crap! Am I going to crush  his dreams and destroy Santa all in one year?  Hey…welcome to the Stuart home where we take your dreams and roll them inthumb tacks then light them on fire. 

Thanks for stopping by!

When I told Lee of Sloan’s reponse he came up with the brilliant solution of telling Sloan that Santa doesn’t bring such expensive gifts – he lets the parents buy those presents.  I have tasked Lee with preparing Sloan to not find a NDsi under the tree this Christmas while still preserving the magic of Santa for one more year.  I’m counting on my man to come through on this one!

My question is, though, what should we get the poor boy for Christmas?  Yes, he will receive clothes, a few books and probably some new art supplies.  But what do we get him for that one special toy that’s going to light up his face when he walks around the corner Christmas morning?! 

I need your advice!  What are you getting your kids for Christmas?  I have a few ideas, but nothing seems to take the place of his beloved NDsi, which he will likely receive at some point, but just not now.

I do hereby open the comments up for suggestions.  This is my sad attempt to see if I can break the ten comment barrier I seem to have on my posts.  Come on, folks, don’t let me down.  I am officially begging for your comments!  My motherly angst has reduced me to this…a comment whore mooch.

…

Okay, I can’t let the last word of a post be whore mooch so I’m going to share a picture that has nothing to do with this post but I just want to share it.  It’s Tia, in her Little Miss Matched tights, which I told you about here and her glasses which make her look way too old. 

Merry Christmas.

No!  Happy Thanksgiving.