Team Focker Watch Chat - Version 7.0: It Slices, Dices and Rolls Up Socks

[sorul82?]

Ok don't flame, but I need info. Last year we started getting the paper right before Christmas and there was an envelope in there addressed to the newspaper person. Since we just started getting the paper, I didn't send anything. How much should I send her this year? I don't know my garbage people so how should I go about tipping them? And I have 3 collection days so how do I know if they are all the same people? I do know my mail carrier and he's awesome but I read somewhere they can't take more than $20 or something. So Steve gets homemade cookies and a CG to somewhere for lunch.

They put in a tip envelope? I never expected anything, but I thought it was such a nice treat....even a nice note or card. I hand addressed cards to all my customers and put in their papers, but I didn't put my return address. I wrote thank you cards to them as well. I think a gas card would be nice. I got a range of things from cash, gift cards, nuts, and chocolate. My last year about $500 worth of stuff. The highest amounts were from folks that I had to do extra for....like leave a paper on the front porch or leaned on the door frame so the guy in the wheelchair could reach it.

 

[ncsjodi]

I baked some cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies for the kids! Mel ain't got nothin' on me!



I do so love the Pillsbury dough boy!

That sounds yummy, T. I'm chomping on those cheapo animal cookies they sell for $1 a bag. Goes well with my wine!

 

[cmp1111]

Uh, I haven't had any wine yet....I'm lost.

Pero, Slate, porque no?

So, speaking of Christmas and such... My dad's family is:
My mom & dad, and me (the only child) and now D & the boys.
My aunt & uncle in TX, my cousin (an only child) her DH and son, baby coming soon.
My aunt coming to visit tomorrow.

So it's small. For years, my grandparents, who have both passed on, lived across the street from my parents, so the whole family would gather more or less at my house for the holidays.

Now of course, with grandparents gone and my cousin & I married and living elsewhere, we haven't gotten together for years.

But we still did a "whole family" gift exchange, where we bought for both aunts, the uncle, the cousin and her DH, and vice versa and so on.

I've not seen my uncle since my wedding, 8 years ago.

So I actually sent an email (somehow, I'm always in charge of collecting and disseminating lists and then what's been bought) and said, maybe we could save it until sometime when we get together again? Maybe the aunts and uncles would exchange amongst themselves (that would be brothers and sister and sisters-in-law), and my cousin & us exchange wine or a gift card or whatnot, but not buy for every single person.

It's not that I'm feeling cheap, it just starts to seem stupid that I click on my aunt's amazon.com list, then she clicks on mine, and that's it. We don't call, because they do gifts on Christmas Eve, we do Day, etc. It's not personal, it's not thoughtful, and the unmarried aunt has sent $20 bills the last few years. Not that I don't spend it, but it's not exactly loving and so forth...

My cousin liked the idea, my mom had OK'ed it before I sent it. The married aunt in TX, though, read it wrong and thought I was saying "no gifts at all" and she's happy about that. What do I do? Correct her to what I was actually saying, or see if everyone else is good with that?

 

[Goofyluver]

Meeska is on the way over to deliver me some cookie dough. thanks T.

Should I bake it or just eat it straight out of the bucket???

 

[sorul82?]

i think bichos are bugs

 

[Goofyluver]

i think bichos are bugs

Si.

 

[cmp1111]

Meeska is on the way over to deliver me some cookie dough. thanks T.

Should I bake it or just eat it straight out of the bucket???

Oh, I'd eat it straight out of the bucket. But then, it's cold at your house, so the oven might heat the house up for a bit.

i think bichos are bugs

 

[ncsjodi]

Pero, Slate, porque no?

So, speaking of Christmas and such... My dad's family is:
My mom & dad, and me (the only child) and now D & the boys.
My aunt & uncle in TX, my cousin (an only child) her DH and son, baby coming soon.
My aunt coming to visit tomorrow.

So it's small. For years, my grandparents, who have both passed on, lived across the street from my parents, so the whole family would gather more or less at my house for the holidays.

Now of course, with grandparents gone and my cousin & I married and living elsewhere, we haven't gotten together for years.

But we still did a "whole family" gift exchange, where we bought for both aunts, the uncle, the cousin and her DH, and vice versa and so on.

I've not seen my uncle since my wedding, 8 years ago.

So I actually sent an email (somehow, I'm always in charge of collecting and disseminating lists and then what's been bought) and said, maybe we could save it until sometime when we get together again? Maybe the aunts and uncles would exchange amongst themselves (that would be brothers and sister and sisters-in-law), and my cousin & us exchange wine or a gift card or whatnot, but not buy for every single person.

It's not that I'm feeling cheap, it just starts to seem stupid that I click on my aunt's amazon.com list, then she clicks on mine, and that's it. We don't call, because they do gifts on Christmas Eve, we do Day, etc. It's not personal, it's not thoughtful, and the unmarried aunt has sent $20 bills the last few years. Not that I don't spend it, but it's not exactly loving and so forth...

My cousin liked the idea, my mom had OK'ed it before I sent it. The married aunt in TX, though, read it wrong and thought I was saying "no gifts at all" and she's happy about that. What do I do? Correct her to what I was actually saying, or see if everyone else is good with that?

A few years ago, my family decided that we would just buy for the kids. It makes it much less stressful to not have to shop for people that we don't see all the time. So, the only adults I have to worry about are my parents, my in-laws and my brother and SIL. My brother has two boys and DH's brother has four boys, so I do a lot of Lego shopping! Then, I've got cousins that have three girls and one boy between them. And that's it!

Meeska is on the way over to deliver me some cookie dough. thanks T.

Should I bake it or just eat it straight out of the bucket???

Baking it would take up too much time. Eat it straight from the bucket!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

My cousin liked the idea, my mom had OK'ed it before I sent it. The married aunt in TX, though, read it wrong and thought I was saying "no gifts at all" and she's happy about that. What do I do? Correct her to what I was actually saying, or see if everyone else is good with that?

I say see if everyone's good with it.

Meeska is on the way over to deliver me some cookie dough. thanks T.

Should I bake it or just eat it straight out of the bucket???

Sorry, but raw cookie dough gives me the shizzles.

i think bichos are bugs

Good to know!

 

[cmp1111]

A few years ago, my family decided that we would just buy for the kids. It makes it much less stressful to not have to shop for people that we don't see all the time. So, the only adults I have to worry about are my parents, my in-laws and my brother and SIL. My brother has two boys and DH's brother has four boys, so I do a lot of Lego shopping! Then, I've got cousins that have three girls and one boy between them. And that's it!

That's good! We'd still have 3 sets of parents (though D's mom & stepdad like Heifer donations, easy-peasy), my grandma, and then D's stepsisters do a "family to family" exchange with a $100 limit. But that one ticks me off because there are now 2 nieces & nephews who are out of school and gainfully employed. Yet somehow they are still part of their mom's "family" which is just awkward, and what makes them different than my DBIL who is only 4 years older than the oldest niece, but who has always been included? Yes, he's technically of the "older" generation, but his life situation isn't different... Plus the stepsisters are all pretty much insane.

 

[carrieannie]

Hi girls!! I`m back from my party!! It was fun!! too much Vodka for me!!!

 

[Goofyluver]

Sorry, but raw cookie dough gives me the shizzles.

Tera's here. She's bringing my cookie dough.

BBL!

Hopefully, without the shizzles.

 

[cmp1111]

I say see if everyone's good with it.

Yeah, that sounds good. I felt weird for the suggestion in the first place, because I'm not trying to "break up the family tradition" in one way, but it's broken anyway, so... Why go through the hassle? Though I do tend to get good books from amazon.com that way...

 

[ncsjodi]

Yeah, that sounds good. I felt weird for the suggestion in the first place, because I'm not trying to "break up the family tradition" in one way, but it's broken anyway, so... Why go through the hassle? Though I do tend to get good books from amazon.com that way...

I know. Eric's brother and his wife have four boys and we only have two kids, so sometimes I feel like we get the short end of the stick there. My SIL tends to spend about $25-30 on each of my kids. I end up spending about the same on hers, since it's hard to find something for under $20. So, I end up spending twice as much as she does! It's sorta annoying, but I guess there's nothing I can do about it. My nephews are very sweet though!

 

[ncsjodi]

Hi girls!! I`m back from my party!! It was fun!! too much Vodka for me!!!

Hi Ed!!!!!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

That's good! We'd still have 3 sets of parents (though D's mom & stepdad like Heifer donations, easy-peasy), my grandma, and then D's stepsisters do a "family to family" exchange with a $100 limit. But that one ticks me off because there are now 2 nieces & nephews who are out of school and gainfully employed. Yet somehow they are still part of their mom's "family" which is just awkward, and what makes them different than my DBIL who is only 4 years older than the oldest niece, but who has always been included? Yes, he's technically of the "older" generation, but his life situation isn't different... Plus the stepsisters are all pretty much insane.

Ok, my turn... we only exchange gifts amoung the kids on my side of the family - I have 4 nephews and 1 niece, so that's easy. I always buy for my Aunt (Waldo's sister) and my cousin and did buy for my grandfather. On Andy's side - his mother died 8 years ago, his father took off with his new wife, and we haven't seen him since Evan was 5 months old. Andy's brother is ... meh, let's just say not in touch. Andy's sister is the only person he sees regularly and we do a full exchange with them - only 3 gifts there.

Boy, when I put it in writing - it's bizarre!

 

[cmp1111]

I know. Eric's brother and his wife have four boys and we only have two kids, so sometimes I feel like we get the short end of the stick there. My SIL tends to spend about $25-30 on each of my kids. I end up spending about the same on hers, since it's hard to find something for under $20. So, I end up spending twice as much as she does! It's sorta annoying, but I guess there's nothing I can do about it. My nephews are very sweet though!

My mom often felt that way with HER family - her brothers had 2 and 3 kids respectively. With me being an only... She spent a lot more than they did. With my dad's side, at least I have only another "only" for a cousin. And she loves her nieces and nephews (well, maybe now not so much the meth-lab-running one ) but it is hard.

 

[ncsjodi]

My mom often felt that way with HER family - her brothers had 2 and 3 kids respectively. With me being an only... She spent a lot more than they did. With my dad's side, at least I have only another "only" for a cousin. And she loves her nieces and nephews (well, maybe now not so much the meth-lab-running one ) but it is hard.

Well, on the other hand, my SIL's sister has five kids. So, they do have to buy for a lot of nieces and nephews on the other side of their family! Can you imagine being her parents? They have nine grandchildren and one of their kids just got married and doesn't have any kids yet!

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

Hi girls!! I`m back from my party!! It was fun!! too much Vodka for me!!!

Hey Ed!

Yeah, that sounds good. I felt weird for the suggestion in the first place, because I'm not trying to "break up the family tradition" in one way, but it's broken anyway, so... Why go through the hassle? Though I do tend to get good books from amazon.com that way...

I know! You could buy yourself a bunch of books... one from Aunt A, one from Uncle B.... that's what I'd do.

I know. Eric's brother and his wife have four boys and we only have two kids, so sometimes I feel like we get the short end of the stick there. My SIL tends to spend about $25-30 on each of my kids. I end up spending about the same on hers, since it's hard to find something for under $20. So, I end up spending twice as much as she does! It's sorta annoying, but I guess there's nothing I can do about it. My nephews are very sweet though!

With Andy's sister, I buy her son 2 gifts because she has to buy 2 gifts, one for Maddie and one for Evan. I used to buy only 1, but then a few years ago, I saw the nephew look sad that he only got one. I know, I'm a sucker.

 

[cmp1111]

Hi girls!! I`m back from my party!! It was fun!! too much Vodka for me!!!

Oh, good!

Tera's here. She's bringing my cookie dough.

BBL!

Hopefully, without the shizzles.

Hi to Tera, enjoy the dough.

Ok, my turn... we only exchange gifts amoung the kids on my side of the family - I have 4 nephews and 1 niece, so that's easy. I always buy for my Aunt (Waldo's sister) and my cousin and did buy for my grandfather. On Andy's side - his mother died 8 years ago, his father took off with his new wife, and we haven't seen him since Evan was 5 months old. Andy's brother is ... meh, let's just say not in touch. Andy's sister is the only person he sees regularly and we do a full exchange with them - only 3 gifts there.

Boy, when I put it in writing - it's bizarre!

Families are weird. The other weird thing about us is that D has a full-out brother, the DBIL whom I was so excited about getting engaged a couple of weeks ago...

So, he's, as I mentioned, part of the whole 8-kids-in-the-step-family exchange from their mom's second marriage. But some years we get together with him and D's DAD and stepmom, so then we exchange with them separately from that MOM's side exchange. Yeah.

And then I do always give to Dr. Belle. Even though she's not family, she's family, you know? I like her better than most, anyway.