Heather Hall

I can see my grandma rolling in her grave at the thought of mentioning
gifts, or what kind of gifts or wish lists or anything of the sort in an
invitation. It's kind of an ingrained response for me to react that way as
well - to *not* tell someone what to get me. What if they already had
something special in mind? By the same token, it seems so logical to let
people know what the kids are interested in and what they would appreciate.
It's hard to decide. What I have done in recent past is call my MIL and let
her know what everyone needs and wants hypothetically for Great Grandma and
Aunt Bonnie if they ask, but then she also hears it and hopefully takes it
into account. Didn't really work so far... Last time, The stuff that made
it upstairs after the party within a month is what stuck. The rest of it I
asked Harriet if we could give it to some kids that needed toys and she said
that was fine. Voila! People also seem to bring gifts even when you tell
them it isn't necessary.

> Message: 12
> Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 08:21:41 -0700
> From: pam sorooshian <pamsoroosh@...>
> Subject: Re: Intro/Gift Questions
>
>
> On Jul 17, 2004, at 5:07 PM, rubyprincesstsg@... wrote:
>
>> If you send out invitations you might make a note that asks them to
>> pick out
>> one special gift carefully and if they would like, you are also asking
>> that
>> anything over one gift be brought so your child can take and donate it
>> to a
>> homeless or battered women's shelter or a child in a group home or
>> something of
>> the sort.
>
> Tying this into the post I sent about being resistant to feeling
> ordered around - we'd not be going to a party if I got an invitation
> like that in the mail - telling me to "pick out one special gift
> carefully." That gave me the exact feeling I was talking about in the
> other post - of being told to do something I'm already doing or
> planning to do or know I should do. Instead of giving a gift being
> something I do, my own way, because I choose to do it - suddenly it
> sounds like a duty and obligation and assignment and that I'm going to
> be evaluated on how good a job I do.
>
> -pam
> National Home Education Network
> <www.NHEN.org>
> Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
> through information, networking and public relations.
>

--
Heather, mom to
Harriet 12.15.99
Crispin 01.25.02
heatherette@...

pam sorooshian

On Jul 18, 2004, at 5:56 PM, Heather Hall wrote:

> The rest of it I
> asked Harriet if we could give it to some kids that needed toys and
> she said
> that was fine.

My sister told me her rule of thumb was to use a gift one time in the
presence of the person who gave it to her. After that, she felt free to
do whatever she wanted with it - including give it away.

My other sister gave me a big ceramic plate with a dip dish in the
middle. Okay - my daughter is the ceramics QUEEN - she makes hundreds
of cups and plates and bowls every month or so. And I make them too. We
are overrun with ceramics - we give them away all the time. So what was
she thinking? Maybe that we really like ceramics? <G>

So - I used it once when she was at my house - put it out on the patio
table with veggies and dip. Planned to give it away the next day, per
my other sister's rule. But as the giver sister helped me clean up, I
accidentally dropped it on the cement patio. Oh dear.

Really. It WAS an accident. REALLY!!!!!!

-pam
National Home Education Network
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.