Holiday musings

With the onset ot Halloween, comes the start of the holiday season at our home. November is a busy month of birthdays and Thanksgiving. We're already squared away for the boys birthdays, printing up and mailing invites this week, and I already have R's birthday present (a photobook created and purchased last month). We'll celebrate the birthday boys (R and the two younger boys) out at one meal-it depends on where R wants to go, and the onsluaght of freebies that have begun to come in the mail.

We've been talking about what we want to do for Thanksgiving this year. Since weWe've done it all from hosting it here, being home with a newborn, seeing R's dad down in Santa Maria, to once again being homw with a newborn. The question is, do we go down south to visit R's dad and his wife, stay home and host here, or go up to R's mom in Sacramento. If we stay here or go to R's mom, the cost is minimal. All we have to pay for is gas, and the rest of the visit is inexpensive (since we make everything ourselves). If we go to R's dad, we have the cost of a hotel, gas, eating out (Thanksgiving dinner and/or a couple of other meals). I found the hotel we normally stay at down south, it's affordable-$99 per night, comes with a free deluxe breakfast every morning, has a microwave and fridge in the room, and kids stay free. The question is, do we go? We know how to travel lightly, bring food, and have a bunch of free places we can go with the boys. At the least we'd spend one night, but have two very full days with his dad. At the most, we'd spend two nights, and take an extra day to do sighseeing as a family. Meals we can plan; breakfasts at the hotel, bring stuff to make lunches, and only have to pay for dinner for our famiy. R is going to talk to his dad and see if he wants to come here, all he'd have to pay is gas-the rest of the weekend we can take care of, since we'd eat at home, and find free things to do as a family. He's also going to talk to his mom about her plans.

This is definitely a time to put on our thinking caps, as we already know we're staying put for Christmas and New Years weeks. His family has plans to be with other parts of the family this year. My siblings are spending it with their signifigant others families, and my dad is staying on the East Coast (too expensive to fly back here).

I'm glad I'm thinking about this now, and not a couple of weeks from now, before everything gets crazier. It also helps to plan ahead so I know how much money to set aside for a hotel (it would come out of our fun/dining out money).
I'll update later once I know more.