I love the ease of finding a babysitter on short-notice.
And I love family events. Especially when I have the opportunity to give presents.
For starters, I hate to shop for myself. I hate shopping for groceries. I find these things boring and tedious. (And, as I've mentioned before, if my clothes from 8th grade still fit and don't have too many holes in them, I see no need to buy new ones.)
But I love gift shopping. Shopping for other people gives me a huge charge, and I spend months before Christmas comparing gifts, prices, picking out stocking-stuffers, etc. It's not uncommon for me to have all my shopping done and everything wrapped by at least Thanksgiving, if not Halloween.
This effort has been recognized as I am viewed, by my family, as one of the better gift-givers. It's not something I'm arrogant about. It's just something I enjoy that I've become very good at.
However, through the years, as my family has grown and multiplied, I'm not able to be as generous as I once was. When we were younger, in our high school and college years, I bought presents for my sisters like they were my own kids. When the oldest cousin, my niece, was born, I spoiled her like she was my own.
But now we have four babies in the family. And with every new addition comes not only an extra set of presents to buy at Christmas, but another birthday as well. All those birthdays and holidays start to really add up, until my whole calendar is filled with special occasions that require a present. I'll break it down for you by month:
