Christmas gifts and travelling

[Mickey'snewestfan]

DS6 and I are flying down to Mexico for Christmas with my mom and my brother. I curious how other people who have travelled at Christmas with their children have handled Santa and gifts.

DS is usally pretty spoiled at Christmas -- he's an only child, and only grandchild/nephew so the holiday ends up sort of focused on him. He's used to having quite a few presents under the tree. On one hand, I'm glad to have the opportunity to "downsize" for him a little. On the other hand I know there's at least one thing (a set of woodworking tools and a small load of wood to use them on) that I really want to get him that I can't see taking with me and lugging back (Can you just see me going through airport security with a saw?).

So my question is, what have other people done when they traveled at Christmas -- opened gifts before they left or after they come back? Open a picture of the gift there, or a small part of it (like bringing one tool with a note saying that there's more at home?)? Limited themselves to small gifts?

I should add the DS is not thrilled about travelling at Christmas. He is very much a traditionalist and wants to eat at the same restaurant Christmas eve that we always go to, go to the same church service, and have the same tree in the same place. I know he'll have a great time when we get there, but I'm not really thinking of the trip as a gift to him, since he's not the one who is excited about it.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I am a traditionalist as well...and feel so strongly about having things the same every year around the holidays, since they are my favorite time of the year. I guess if we had to celebrate away from home..I would want the pictures of the gifts and then still able to open a stocking. Are you guys going to be able to get a tree in Mexico?

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

We are arriving down there late on Christmas eve, so probably we won't have time to find and set up a large tree, but I'm thinking I might bring a little artificial one. We will decorate the house up here, but won't actually set up a tree.

I think what I'm going to do is lug one of his "big" presents down there (a toy race track with remote control cars on it), and then just bring a piece of the tool set (like the hammer with a note saying the rest are at home), and then choose smaller things for the other gifts so that he can unwrap them there? Does that sound like a plan?