Is it Really THAT Big of a Deal?

We didn't get a Christmas Tree, I went to bed before midnight on New Year Eve, nothing special for Valentines Day, Olivia's birthday was a small family party and no gifts from her parents, don't even remember St Patricks Day, Easter? I made a cake, but no family egg hunt or baskets of candy, and today is John's birthday: no presents no cake.

So I don't make a big deal out of holidays and birthdays.  You can call me a party pooper if you want to, but there's a reason why I don't do that much crazy and wild celebrating.

As many of you know, John is getting ready to go to grad school this fall.  That's 16 months of no income from him, but at best limited income from me.  We're saving money.  Wild celebrations cost a lot of money or at least will if you just think that the money that we spend now is the money that we will need to borrow with student loans and pay a bunch of interest on later.  Yes, that 10 dollar box of Valentines day chocolate will end up costing 80 bucks in a few years because of student loans.  (That's an exaggeration, but you see my point.)  And those little things add up.

But that's not everything.  I just don't see the point of making a big deal out of everything.  I know kids will love it, but growing up, my parents never did anything crazy for each holiday like doing a holiday craft and buy new outfits for everyone or a leprechaun scavenger hunt, but we did do things.  We always had a small family party for birthdays and Christmas trees and celebrations, but we never reserved a party hall for a 1-year-old's birthday party.  I never felt deprived. Plus Christmas and Easter were about Christ's birth and resurrection, not about Santa and the Easter Bunny.

For Olivia's birthday we had cake and I bought her some shoes for her gift mostly because she needed new shoes.  I asked that nobody buy her toys because she already had plenty.  Of course grandparents bought plenty of clothes, bed sheets, and even a book, but I'm glad that they didn't buy Olivia and toys.  Some people would say, and have said that I am depriving my child of her childhood, but really now, do you really think I am?  Doubt it.  Is she going to look back in 3 years on her 5th birthday and tell me, "you know mom, my childhood has been awful so far because you only bought me shoes for my 2nd birthday"?  Doubt it.

I guess what I'm saying is just leave me alone.  So we don't buy physical gifts to celebrate holidays.  It's okay if you buy  your 6-month-old a Valentines Day party basket.  I think it's a little ridiculous, but if you think that's what will make your baby happy, go ahead and do it.  I prefer to take my family on spontaneous trips to California, or go to the zoo, hit up Yellowstone, play in the park all day, find small unknown nature trails, bake cookies, do laundry, read a book together, sing silly songs, snuggle to Dumbo.  See I do stuff too.

So before you ask me what I got for John's birthday, just forget it.  I didn't buy him any gifts, I'm not making a cake (it's not  a part of our healthy lifestyle to have an Easter cake then 2 cakes this week for our birthdays), but I guess I could put candles in his salmon tonight.

I don't mean for all this to sounds negative.  I sound angry, but I'm not.  I just do things a little differently.  Big deal.  However, I do love myself some Thanksgiving.  It might come as a surprise that I love to cook since everything I make is usually burnt or has no flavor, but I love cooking for Thanksgiving.  Now, that holiday I will go all out for.  Well, no decorations, but certainly a bomb diggity menu.