Each year I try to make something special for my family members for Christmas. Most years I can't seem to find something to make for my husband. He seems to be stocked with knitted hats, quilts blankets and the like. I can't seem to come up with anything I could make to compliment his rock climbing hobby. I guess I will have to stick to the weekly baked muffins that he loves.
The kids are another story. I was stymied for a while. They are really too old for the cute stuff and they too have their share of home knitted goods, as well as quilted ones. One of my personal favorites was the year that I got blank nesting dolls and painted each one to look like they were at different ages. I made one set for each child. I made sure to paint them in their favorite outfits from each age, adored with their favorite items. This year was harder, until I found the biking gift websites. I found these wonderful clocks made from chainrings. They were too expensive, but I have found a way to make my own. I called my lovely bike mechanic and he had three very used and beatup chainrings I could have. "They are really beat up and dirty - are you sure you want them?" I assured him that I could handle a bit of bike grease, dirt and scuffed up metal. New chainrings are lovely, but a beatup one means it has seen some life and love on the road. Besides, they were the right price - free. I will clean them up, cut a circle of wood to fit behind it, paint it, maybe mount a photo on it or paint on the team logo and add the clock mechanism. My clocks will not have the pendulum, those were a bit much to figure out on my time frame, but I am excited about this gift. I can't wait to get started. Won't they be surprised! Now, the tough decisions hit me. One chainring matches the one that is part of the team logo. Which kid should get that? Should I put the team name on it? Who should get the larger one? Should I make some for our friends who introduced us to bike racing? These will be figured out and constructed with secret joy. My kids don't even have a hint of what I am up to, as long as they don't look in the bag I have from the bike store. Even if they spied them, they could not guess what I am up to!
And an update. Remember how I mentioned that I missed some deals on things my kids wanted? Well, one is resolved. Ellie had wanted a special comforter with funky snowflakes? Ellie and her best friend, Christy, had a special shopping day. It was a very big deal. They had scoped out the local mall and counted the number of stores in each one. They picked the one with 200 stores. Off we went. We had lunch, we shopped, we saw and we did not purchase. They had the idea that it would all be very magical. They would be surrounded with irresistible stuff they wanted to get for each other. They each saved up $20 and wanted to buy coordinating gifts on this shopping trip. Only it was not quite what they expected. Toys-R-Us was not so special now that they are older. They were disappointed in the stores in the mall. It was geared at the adult clothes horses with money, not two tweeners out to be dazzled. In the end we shopped at the Target near Chirsty's house and found just what was needed. Ellie REALLY wanted the comforter, but it was regularly $39.99. Christy needed a new blanket. How lucky for them to find that the comforter and pillow sham sets (regardless of size) were on sale for $19.99. It hit the spot. Ellie and Christy topped it all of with a fun dinner and a stay-the-night with both of them enjoying their new gifts.
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