On 12/21 it was officially 1 year the kids have been living with us full time.  We had some good times and some bad times.  The skids seem to be adjusting well… I guess we all are.

My kids came for a week during Christmas, this was the first time all 3 of my kids were together with all 4 of the skids.  Really wasn’t too bad.  My kids are older…. 21, 25 and 29… 3 grandbabies are 1, 3, and 5 and a 1 son in law.  Skids are 11, 13, 15, 18.  I have all girls and the grandbabies are all girls also.  Skids are boys except the oldest is a girl. 

All in all, I think everyone had a good time.  When my kids were younger, and I was a single mom struggling to make ends meet I would buy a lot of cheaper items like coloring books and crayons and wrap everything separate to make it look like there were a lot of gifts under the tree.  As they got older I would have them make a Christmas list with various items at different price ranges.  There was always one big gift… the expensive gift. Some years this was $20 gift other years a $50 gift.  But no matter what they always had presents under the tree.  Now that they are adults, I buy gifts in the $50 to $100 price range for the younger two.  Both are putting themselves thru college and don’t even live with me anymore.  My older daughter I will buy a “family gift” and buy presents for the grandbabies.

All of this basically to say BM did not send any gifts to her children and she will not be visiting the kids for Christmas.  I know it's not about the gifts, but for us Christmas was always such a big deal.