What's happening in your life? 11/06-08/08

[sodascouts]

lol - good idea! I'm gonna pull that one this year - we'll see how it turns out, lol.


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[Brooke]

That sounds fun!



At my inlaws the adults take a gift for a grab bag. There are separate ones for men and women. Then each group draws a number and you pick a gift from the pile by number. Once you draw a gift you open it. Then the next person can steal the gift you have or draw another from the pile. If yours is stolen, you get to steal from someone else or draw again. It can get very "heated" if there is an item or two that everyone wants. You're more likely to end up with what you want if you are one of the last numbers to draw. It's really a lot of fun! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D">


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"You know, people don't run out of dreams, people just run out of time."</p>

[Perfect Little Sister]

We do this same thing with an ornament exchange. You'd be surprised how much conspiring goes on. "You steal that one from her and I'll steal this one from him and then we'll trade after." And of course the last person to marry or significant other into the family is SOL. There's an unmentioned conspiracy that everyone must steal every ornament from the new guy/gal. Luckily everyone has been a good sport about this. Hmmm...now that I think about it this is most often perpetrated by the guys against the new guy.<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol">


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You're not quite lovers and you're not quite friends,

After the thrill is gone.</p>

[DonFan]

We call that game "Dirty Santa." I am going to not one, or two, but four parties where you play it, usually ornament swap parties. It is pretty fun but sometimes you may get an ornament you really, really want, and then someone with a high number takes it away from you and you aren't able to get it back.



Our neighborhood party does White Elephant Dirty Santa, where you are supposed to bring crappy gifts no one wants, and playing it that way is funny.


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[sodascouts]

I did a White Elephant version of that one time. The funny thing is, someone had thrown in what they thought was a crappy gift - an old Star Wars comic book - and this guy and I both wanted it BAD. I managed to get it, and when he stole it from me and I was left with a Barbie tiara.... NOT HAPPPY!


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[Ive always been a dreamer]

Sorry to be so late on this, but I definately want to congratulate all of you on the "success" stories with your kids. I still think great kids are usually a testament to great parenting. I love reading about all the Christmas gift giving ideas. I've played the White Elephant version of the Dirty Santa game as well, and thought it was a lot of fun seeing what crappy gifts people could come up with. I have had a very busy week. Since I took last Friday off from work for my birthday getaway weekend, I'm working very hard this week trying to catch up. I still have about half of my Christmas shopping to do. This time of the year is soooo hectic!


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I'm just a hired hand working on the dreams I plan to try. The days go by...</p>

[glenneaglesfan]

I have been laughing at all the 'Dirty Santa' stories! Present giving in our family is a much more ordinary affair - maybe I should get together with my sister to liven it up a bit!

We are out to husband's Christmas do tonight at a place called St Mellion in Cornwall (which has an international standard golf course if you are interested, Glenn!<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"> ) Apparently it's a James Bond themed evening. I wondered about going just covered in gold paint, but then I thought, maybe not. We have a room booked, so no worries about driving.


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This way to happiness...</p>

[DonFan]

The party sounds like fun, GF!



That is exactly what I don't like about Dirty Santa, Nancy. Inevitably someone gets attached to something and when they take it away, they get disappointed.



I forgot to add--at our neighborhood White Elephant Dirty Santa, we are allowed to "re-gift," so if you go home with something truly awful you can bring it back the next year and pawn it off on someone else. That makes it even funnier. We have one really ugly lawn ornament that has been showing up for years! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)">


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[EasyFeeling]

That's funny, Dana! Great stories to read here.



This year Christmas is not going to be very nice for my family. It's the first time we celebrate Christmas without my brother. Last year on Dec. 20 he died of AIDS. He had been drug addicted for about 15 years. Although he was trying to get away from the drugs he did not make it.



That's why I really appreciate what our Joe is doing on this subject.


</p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p196.ezboard.com/bflipcity19918.showUserPublicProfile?gid=easyfeeli ng>EasyFeeling</A> at: 12/8/06 12:33 pm

[Z]

Sounds like it will be a rough Christmas, Michaela. Sometimes being together helps a great deal. This is the first holiday season without my Mother-in-Law and Hubby's family is not doing very well with it.


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Be careful what you say

Be careful who you trust

This world is beautiful

This world is dangerous

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