Sort of Love Thy Neighbor

A couple of nights ago we got our first neighbor gift. Remember it's only the first week in December but I guess some people are super on top of things like that. I dread the neighbor gift frenzy every year. First I stress about what I'm going to do and then I stress about who to give them to or who will give them to us. Oh and I forgot to add that there is also the money factor. As in this can cost a butt-load of money! In previous years I have gone the baking route (too much enery/time), the homemade ornament route (time was also a factor here) and the bought candy route ($$$). So this year I'm trying to think of a way to do it without exerting much energy, time or money. Really the only way to do that is to not do anything at all and that will send me into a bout of anxiety that I don't even want to think about. Why is it that I'm 32 years old and I still care what people think of me? That's another post though. I realize it's got to be done so I will just suck it up and do it. That's the Christmas spirit right? I usually make a list of people I actually like, actual neighbors, people who always give us something and then my back up list of people I will give to only if they give us something. This can get pretty lengthy but judging by the fact that no one "Ghosted" our family on Halloween I'm thinking we aren't going to receive that many. Oh I feel a tangent coming on... Yes that is right, our family was not "Ghosted" on Halloween. If you are unaware of what that is I will tell you. Someone brings over candy and a piece of paper with poem on it that basically tells you that you have to give another family the same thing. It's basically a Halloween chain letter and if you break it by not giving out more candy, the Halloween Gods will frown upon you. I do know some people who break this chain (Karen) and it was not a pretty sight. I think her kids only got Smarties and Tootsie rolls that year. The point is no one did this to our house. This was the first year we'd been ignored and I don't know why. Maybe personal tragedies make people uncomfortable and they thought we wouldn't want to be bothered with some neighborly kindness. Regardless of this I will purchase and pass out neighbor gifts this year. I want to be liked as much as the next person and if buying their friendship is the only way to do it, then by golly I will! On a side note we just got an invitation to a neighborhood party. While I'd rather have my eyes poked out with a hot poker I will most likely go because deep down inside I'm thinking "They like me! They really really like me!"

Here is a picture of Grace doing her model pose by the Christmas tree.