Caution: This is NOT a feel good blog about putting aside differences and spreading goodwill.

I have seen so many blogs about entitled skids and with Christmas just around the corner I expect to see many, many more. I really wanted to skip Christmas this year and just go on a romantic trip with DH but that doesn't seem to be working out. He really wants to be with his kids. Bah-humbug.

Anyway, instead of getting angry, I've decided to EMBRACE the holiday this year....their way. The skids are extremely materialistic and measure love and devotion in dollar signs. I have decided to speak their language this year.

As some of you know, DH's daughter stopped visiting him in April of this year. He has continued to go to every one of her sporting events and has offered to take her out for one-on-one time more often than I can recall. She has only taken him up on it 3-4 times and only when gifts were involved.

The boy, on the other hand, has requested MORE time with DH, regularly texts DH, actually tells DH (and me too) about things going on in his life....you know...puts in effort to maintain a relationship with DH. It's not perfect by any means but at least he seems to get the concept of relationships being two way streets.

In the past, I have asked DH not to include my name on gifts to skids. I got them something the first year DH and I dated but I haven't done anything for them since. This year, since I can't have my romantic getaway with DH, I'm thinking about going big with presents instead. DH will get the lion's share of course. I will also get something for the boy. I want it to be something big, something relatively expensive, and something that he really really wants so that he talks about it afterwards (based on previous experience with this kid, I'm not expecting a "thank you" but it doesn't matter this time). The girl gets nothing from me. I want it to be painfully obvious that I have excluded her. I want her to know she doesn't register as "family" with me. I always get presents for my cats and dogs (even wrap them up and help them open them) so maybe that will make it even more clear how little I think of her.

Ok. So that felt icky. I generally hate materialism, especially the way it manifests at Christmastime, but it's fun to think of ways to use it for my own purposes. I'm not really going to do this. Eff the skids. Eff Christmas.