Last night bear fell apart. He really, really, really, really wanted a particular toy and it was too late to tell Father Christmas.
This happens every year. We get to the fortnight before Christmas when the deliveries are booked up and suddenly bear has a desperation for something that I had no idea he wanted. If he hadn't been born just a few days away from Christmas I could say soothing things about 'perhaps for your birthday' but there just isn't time.
It also upsets my shopping strategy. I spend most of the late summer and autumn watching ebay and amazon, picking up the bargains and stashing stuff away. I am happy to get second hand stuff and if I ever got near a charity shop I would be happy to pick stuff up there as well. Not all of my growing pile is new. As far as I am concerned, books may or may not be new but the words are still in the same order. I have an awesome cyberman voice changing helmet that I managed to snaffle for a very reasonable price indeed that is second hand and I know bear will be thrilled. I also get a surprising number of stocking fillers with my grocery delivery - it really is worth a rummage. Buying something at full price with full postage brand new seems to go against the natural order.
However I am confident that bear is getting money - my guess is that he will have around £80 in money so while I may not be able to give him everything he wants for Christmas (which isn't necessarily healthy anyway, within reason), I am sure bear will be able to practise being canny in the sales. After he has put some in the bank!
My children always only got two presents and very rarely was it what they wanted. It did them good to learn disappointment and now that they are way in their adult years, they tell me thank you. I did not, not get the things they wanted just to teach a lesson, that was just a bonus. We only wanted them to have things that would last and be in our set budget. Same with birthdays - only one gift. Hope Bear will be like my kids and want something for a day or two then change their mind and go totally in another direction. I love watching kids grow up and see how they learn to process life. Merry Christmas to your family from the center of Canada. See if bear can figure out where that is!
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