it starts with having a handful and ends with Christmas

(This picture is not related to the post at all, it is of Mount of Angels where St Brynach is said to have conversed with Angels in the 6th Century. We walked here on the same day we did the coastal path mentioned below and I wanted to share it.)

I got the comment "You've got your hands full there!" As the kids and I flitted about the coastal path in a nearby town. I smiled and agreed, and carried on.

I know it's a myth.

With children, I have found the more you have, the less work it can be. I have to do regular head counts, and have taken to checking every one is in the car at the end of the track before we hit the proper road. Mainly because it takes us ages to all get in the car and some one is always popping in and out as they remember their hat/ scarf/ book/ cuddly toy......so I like to check.

When there are six of you in the family, there is always a good chance that some one else will want to play what you are playing. There is strength in numbers in this way. Of course, if you want to do some thing alone, then there is equally a chance that at least one person is going to come up and ask what you are doing, and can they do it too? Please?

There is an abundance of hand me down toys. I see Lb playing with the same wooden trucks that Od had. Mb has a cuddly toy fetish, and so Od has offloaded a large part of her unwanted collection to him. Eb hoards lego but will share it out amongst his siblings if they promise to play properly. In Lb's case this means solemnly swearing not to hide the small bits in play doh or worse, down your pants.

It is this abundance of toys that has got me thinking about Christmas, which is after all only seven weeks away.

Here is my thinking (and this really is a brain dump, so may not make sense.)

I don't like piles of presents for the sake of piles of presents. One of the best gifts my kids got last year was a cheap set of funny glasses, I've seen them laying about or on a face nearly every week since. I want to get gifts that will be loved, or be useful and yes, maybe educational too.

I've been thinking about the things we do the most, and they boil down to lego, play doh and making things. We already have plenty of lego, we make our own play doh and the craft cupboard is full to overflowing with supplies. We have enough scrap paper, fabric, glue, paint, pens, pencils, pastels, crayons and glitter to see us through the next six months, that's without going into the junk modelling bin.

I'd like to get some special, or different supplies, but I'm not sure where to start my search.

With four children, a large family who regularly give us there cast offs (all very much appreciated!) And a mother who tends to hoard things "Just in case", I am really struggling this year.

Eb has of course already started a list that is full of Lego and Playmobil, but I feel that apart from a couple of smaller sets, we have plenty of both of these. I mean, plenty. We have about five large plastic storage boxes of Lego and two of Playmobil.

Here is the crucial point.

We don't need any thing, and so spending money because it is Christmas and you have to just seems a bit, well, silly.

Now I sound like a Scrooge, and I'm not. I love Christmas. I love the Christmas feeling....and I enjoy all the activities that lead up to it.

I'm just stumped on the gifts this year.