Christmas Pressies - what ya gettin?

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Christmas Pressies - what ya gettin?
9
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 12:52am

I just finished my christmas shopping literally 2 minutes ago and wondering what you all are getting your little monkeys for christmas.

LOL, I am laughing because this year I broke all my cardinal rules. I swore I would never do that search the world over for that 1 special toy thing AND I said I would never spend a fortune on one Lego toy.

Well, funny how autism changes things eh? Puts a totally new spin on things. Mike asked for exactly 3 things this year. An amplifier for his guitar and 2 lego dino attack sets. One was $40 and the other $80. My mom bought the $40 one.

I wanted to get him a new guitar, a decent one and an amp and a small lego set. But talking to DH and other moms of autistics I realized how disasterous and more expensive that would be. First it is likely that he wouldn't want a "new" guitar. He has one and never separates from old stuff. Heck, I bought him a great brand new spiderman comforter and he keeps ditching it and pulling out his old blue one he has had since he was 2. And to get him something different than what was on his list, bad karma, bad juju. Any other kid, no problem. Could have made a replacement easily. Even with Caitster, but NOT mike, lol.

So here we are tonight going to get this $80 lego set that I have seen everywhere except tonight. Literally went to 4 stores. No Dino Typhoon whatsamajiggy thingie. So I come home and go to ToyRus online. Still no really expensive very specific lego. THANK GOD lego.com still had some, ROFL.

If he changes his mind on this lego set he is SOOOOO a dead man.

Cait got a kareoke machine (wanted a microphone so what the heck) and a couple 500 piece puzzles and clothes, Emily got an accustic guitar and a bunch of cooking stuff of her own (she is my food channel junkie) and clothes, Dave got an electronic drum thingie (wanted a drum set but I can turn this one down) and a small lego and clothes, and Mike got an amplifier and the big monster lego and of course - clothes. We also got them a couple family games.

My kids want to make thier own band this year so the instruments were a consipiracy of thiers, lol. I love it. I played 5 instruments as a kid and still play guitar. If they want to take up music I am all for it. They may all get music lessons for thier birthdays if I can find one that will take on the Mikester.

Renee

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Registered: 10-03-2004
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 7:13am

Dear Renee.

I am also looking for a music gift, not cheap but I am looking all over for the best deal on an electric keyboard with real graded hammer action like a real piano so his fingers can get stronger. He has his dad's old casio which plays like electric piano and he plays it, but at his friend's house, he loves to play and play and they are professional musicians with albums out, those parents, with the best pianos. I play, started real young, and I know he needs to train his fingers properly, plus we just don't have space for a real one. A portable electric will be great.

This will be his one big gift from us, but not to worry as he has so many relatives that buy and send gifts and I have sent them his list so he's gonna make out!!! I already know he's getting a bunch of "Calvin & Hobbes" books (his new favorite) and ski clothes and DVDs like "Madagascar" and "Racing Stripes".

I really want to get him a puppy, that's what he REALLY wants, but his dad needs to be tested for specific dog allergies to see if we could get hair dog such as a labradoodle and of course he hasn't done it..

Maybe next year.

Sara

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Registered: 06-25-2003
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 9:21am

Groan. I though you were going to ask what *I* was getting from Santa. I have a list. It includes sleep, a maid, a roomba and an exercise machine. I suspect I won't get everything thereon...

Siobhan wants:
"a singer thing" (I think this is a karaoke(sp) machine)
a violin.
A whistle
(notice any themes here?)

I don't know what to do about the violin. She *won't* be dissuaded, but I have three problems with it:

a: the expense (she is 5yo)
b: she doesn't understand what is involved in playing one
c: music lessons would be required if she can overcome "b", and I will have difficulty finding time in our schedule

I was thinking I may call the school music teacher and ask if she can take Siobhan aside and have her try one. Or I cold try to find a local music store and do it there.

Peter is ucharacteristically indecisive about his present this year. He *did* want a RC car that climbs walls. Then he changed it to a "cool trooper mask" from Star Wars (no idea what a "cool trooper" is. NOT a storm trooper, according to The Boy.

So his list now looks like this

Star wars watches (from Burger King)
A light saber (as if he doesn't have a bunch of them!)
a cool trooper mask

DH went and ordered his own present online. New glasses (as if HE didn't have a bunch of *those*!).

Cripes! I can't think about this right now. I am getting stressed...

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 10:20am

Paula,

I just happened to see yesterday that Walmart here had violins in their "first act" music instruments (ie. cheap instruments for kids) Most of the first act instruments are of good enough quality that they are actual instruments for a kid to learn on but less expensive for that just trying out musician. Most have learning books and materials with them. That is where we got Emily's very cool flower covered guitar and Mike's amplifier.

As for cool star wars mask, Dave has specifically asked for the "Darth Vader Voice Changer" which my mom got for him and is $25. Actually that was for the whole dress up set with darth vader mask including lightsaber. And yes, Dave has a million of those too, LOL. In fact he usually saves up his trade in money for a new saber every so often. Now he wants the build your own lightsaber that is out but the list has to stop somewhere, lol.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 10:25am

My dh has all the old calvin and hobbes books which Mike absolutely loves. He has read them all about 10 times each. They are now quite worn! LOL. Of course then Mike becomes Calvin which is really interesting.

We have an organ we were given in the front room. I would love to replace it with a piano but that is way expensive. Maybe someday if I get an actual musician out of the lot, lol.

As for the puppies, great idea. I have heard about labradoodles. I hear they don't shed (that would be lovely!) I think I shall trade my 2 shed monsters for one, UGH! I am so tired of vacuuming dog fur. If you want a little one, shi zu's are good. They have people like hair and typically are good for allergies, don't shed and they have nice personalities for kids. My mom has one and she is really sweet nice doggie. Mike adores her. Funny thing is he tends toward littler animals though I have always like big dogs. He likes the feeling of holding them so it is kind of a sensory thing I think. But his favorites are our cat and my mom's dog. He doesn't have much to do with our 2 bigger dogs.

Renee

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 12:40pm

let's see...

for austin, he is getting a playhut school bus, a cow puppet, and a blues clues video and book and a challenging shape sorter. he's big into buses and blues clues.

matty is getting the thomas lego set, a monkey puppet, an elmo mr potatoe type thing, and a lollipop drum. also, i got him this puppy that you squeeze in a hug and it vibrates. great sensory thing from walmart and only $10.

my parents overdo it so much that i concentrate on getting them things they will really like.

me...we shall see what dh comes up with. i told him he should know me well enough after 12 years that he can come up with something. truly, i will be happy if he just takes the initiative to try to find something, doesn't need to be pricey at all.

~Valerie
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Registered: 08-26-2005
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 1:21pm
I too thought that this thread was about gifts for us. We sure deserve them. We have the kids under control. All Jake wanted was another train(big surprise) and Ella, well she'd play with a cardboard box but we found some things I think she'll love. We spent more than I planned to of course but my DH thinks they should have everything they want. Now I have to come up with an idea for a gift for DH which is pretty hard because he has everything. He's the shopper in our house and buys himself whatever he wants. I better come up with an idea for a gift for myself our else God knows what he'll get me. He usually buys me jewlery and I never wear it because he really isn't good at picking it out. He bought me a pair of very decorative pearl earrings to wear on the day of our wedding.OH MY GOD they were the uglyiest things I ever saw. So of course I didn't wear them and he never stopped reminding me off it for about a year.I have no idea what I want though and time is running out.
Teresa
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Registered: 02-24-2005
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 6:02pm
Ugggh!!! This year has been so tough buying for Chase(8yo w/AS). He is tiring of his trains and that was always our ace in the hole. He hasn't really replaced this fixation with another yet but anything sciency seems to make him happy. I(Santa) bought him some experiment kits, spy gear and some army stuff. He's been watching documentaries about WWII lately but thinks WWI was really boring, LOL. Also I just ordered The Blue Bottle Mysteries for him...he loves to read. My 6 yo NT girl is easy...dolls, barbies and my little ponies. My youngest DS has been asking for Polly Pocket stuff but insists that it's for his imaginary friend named Dude. HA HA HA, HO HO HO!!! Vicky
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Registered: 03-31-2003
Sun, 12-11-2005 - 7:20pm

This time of year can get crazy for us because we celebrate both Christmas and Chanukkah, and Sylvia's birthday is the day after Christmas. (AND DH's birthday is the day after Sylvia's!) So we try to just do one gift for each kid for both Chanukkah and Christmas, plus extra stuff for the stocking.

For Chanukkah, we got both kids Blues Clues stuffed animals: Blue for Sebastian and Frederica for Sylvia. For Christmas, we got Sebastian one of those rugs with roads and buildings on it, for his expanding collection of toy cars. We finished the basement this year, so we can put the rug and a basket of cars down there especially for him (Sylvia is afraid to go in the basement, which actually works out fine, as now they each have their own play space when they need some time alone). For Sylvia, we got a fairy dollhouse/playset. It's very delicate and intricate, with lots of separate rooms and little hiding spaces for the little fairy dolls, and Sylvia loooves that kind of thing. Then, for Sylvia's birthday, we got her a Dora the Explorer book for her PowerTouch book (which, incidentally, I don't think they're making any more, and I got the Dora book and cartridge REALLY cheap at Target.) It doesn't sound like much, but the grandparents always get the kids way too much, plus honestly at this age they're still so young that simply lighting the Chanukkah candles and playing dreidle, and opening windows on the advent calendar, is more than enough excitement for them!

For DH, I got a bunch of books, and one of those ball ice cream makers where you fill the ball with ice cream ingredients and then toss it/kick it for 30 minutes, and it makes ice cream! I haven't exactly figured out what I'll give him for Chanukkah and what I'll give him for Christmas, but since the first night of Chanukkah is December 25 this year, I suppose it doesn't really matter! For his birthday I got him some didgeridoo supplies -- he's had a didgeridoo for many years and loves to play it but is itching to learn some more advanced techniques, so I got him an instructional DVD, extra beeswax for the mouthpiece, and some clapsticks (to help with rhythm and, supposedly, help you learn circular breathing).

Frankly, I'm just thrilled to be DONE shopping... This time of year gets soooo crazy at our house!!!

Jennifer

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Registered: 02-24-2004
Mon, 12-12-2005 - 12:31pm

Well, for Tyler we got him 2 playstation games...Ratchet and Clank Deadlocked and Star Wars battlefront II. He loves to draw so we got him a book that shows the steps on how to draw things (pretty cool). And now he's into MegaBloks Pyrates, thank to MIL, so we got him the big pyrate ship. Also a couple of chapter books and a Harry Potter bookmark for his stocking.

Nathan is also into the MegaBloks Pyrates, so we got him the pyrate island (as requested!). Also a light saber that lights up with sounds, Star Wars evolution pkg of the Sith, and the shake and go speedway. For his stocking, I bought a couple of books...one for him to read and one for mommy to read (both Thomas the Train). I still need one more small item for his stocking though.

michelle