by Michelle Stein posted in Parenting

It's barely September, but I'm bringing up the forbidden "C" word anyway: Christmas.
Ack! Before you throw things at me and curse my name for even thinking about December 25 this early, hear me out. (Also, please realize we have the Christmas tree up at our house by Halloween most years.) What I'm about to propose might take some budgeting and planning, anyhow, so it makes sense to bring it up now. Here it goes: This holiday season, I've already decided to skip buying presents for my three children.

Yes, you read that correctly. My three kids -- ages 6, 3, and 1 -- won't be waking up on Christmas morning to a big ol' pile of presents under the tree. Instead, we're opting to ask Santa to go on a family trip. It's nothing too extravagant: A couple of days at an indoor water park/hotel. But this getaway will be an opportunity for us to make memories together. (You know, beyond the 2 seconds it takes to tear wrapping paper.) Truthfully, I've had a blast shopping for the perfect presents for each of my children; I think my anticipation for Christmas morning may have even beat theirs. In the spirit of giving, though, I may have gone a little overboard. (The look of excitement on their faces when they saw the heap of gifts was almost worth it.) After unwrapping everything, they played happily with their loot for the rest of the day. Wanna know what happened after that" They gave zero effs about the toys.

Ultimately, aÂ...