Christmas!

This isn't our first Christmas with Miss S, but it will definitely be a more exciting one! Since her birthday in July, Miss S has become very aware of presents. She loves tissue paper, unwrapping gifts, gift bows, boxes...Christmas will be so much fun for her this year!
I have realized, however, that it is harder to shop for a toddler than it is a tween. Tweens are happy with books, music, gift cards, clothes. Toddlers are happy with anything. You would think that wold make it easier, but I want Miss S to be excited about her gifts! I picked up a couple things that I think will really get her attention, but really, I could wrap a cardboard box and she'd play with it.
Also, why are toys so expensive? All the cool gifts blow our budget out of the water. We were thinking about getting her a play kitchen, but Grano thinks she is too young. Momma readers, do you think 18 months is too young? Should we wait until her 2nd birthday?
Another, more prominent, concern is what to do. I know that my hubby and I would love ot just stay at home for the entire holidays, but obviously can't, or, if we do, we will have oodles of people coming and going. Either option means we will have a tired, over stimulated baby on our hands. Scratch that, a tired, over stimulated TODDLER. A baby was easy. I'd nurse her to sleep wherever. A toddler likes her own bed, in her own room. Or she likes momma to nap/sleep with her. I am thinking that we may just open up our home to whatever family would like to make the trip. Plus, it means I don't have to drive and listen to my DH (dear husband...or damn husband) complain about the driving conditions, the cruisers, the other drivers, the cost of gas, the music playing and how tired he is.
It's like people forget how hard it is to travel with young children, and how easily they become over stimulated and cranky. Miss S is so loved, and so lucky to have so many people who love to spoil her, and she loves it, but it also means that she simply gets overwhelmed with it all. I have a pile of toys, books and puzzles that she hasn't used, and when she is fussy I will pull out a "new" one for her, then put it away for a few weeks. Rinse. Repeat.
The nice thing is the CLOTHES! Miss S loves dressing up. She lets me put her in dresses just to take pictures. I wish she'd let me do her hair, but that's another story for another day. She also loves shoes. She doesn't like anyone to be without shoes or socks and will bring me mine to wear if I am barefoot. Her new "thing" is coats. She will wear her winter coat, and even her snowsuit, around the house. What a ham. We have clothes going up to size four that are suitable for all seasons. Sometimes I just look at her closet longingly and think about all the combinations of outfits she has. Then DH puts her in whatever shirt and pants he finds in the hamper. He always puts her in the same three outfits (I guess because I keep washing them...hmmm...). Men.
So anyway, here we are, a month away from Christmas. Turkey, eggnog (which Miss S has also tried and loved), Christmas trees (yes trees, plural, we are having two, a fake downstairs where the presents will go, and a real one upstairs which will be decorated by ME), lights and watching the girls tear into their gifts. Can't wait.