Scrooge

Holidays mean different things to different people and it seems everyone has a favorite holiday for one reason or another. Mine would have to be Halloween. I love the fall season in and of itself, but when you throw in scary everything and free candy my excitement can't be contained. My sister (brother's wife) on the other hand loves Christmas with an almost frightening passion. (And I love her for it!)
Dick on the other hand loves Thanksgiving. Now I think Thanksgivings great. I love visiting with family, the delicious food and the kick off to the Christmas season, but my brother in law loves it because of all the yummy food his mom makes...oh and the fact that he doesn't have to spend any of his own money to enjoy it.
Now Christmas and Halloween are totally different stories.
He hates buying candy for the neighbor hood kids on Halloween and thinks it's a waste of money to buy a costume...or make one for that matter. Anything that might bring a little joys into his children's lives is out of the question unless he profits from it somehow so my sister is constantly having to come up with things that are free or cost next to nothing.
Christmas is another disaster. My sister works really hard to make things special for her kids without disturbing the impossible balance Dick has forced her to create. She shops at second hand stores and dollar stores. All very good things when trying to stick to a budget and I commend her for it. Christmas isn't about the money it's about giving to others and remembering Christ's birth and there is nothing wrong with being frugal.
The problem I have is while my sister is doing all of this to save money, ( not that they need too. Dick has a pretty good paying job), Dick decides for his Christmas and birthday he wants a Playstation3 and a thirty thousand dollar theatre room set.
Yep you read that right $30,000 on speakers, projector, and screen. His wife and kids on the other hand get practical things like a sewing machine, pots and pans, and used toys. He tells them this is fair because he will share, but the first thing he does when he gets the theater room set up is lock it up so no one can go in and tells his four very excited boys that he doesn't want them using the Playstation3 because they will break it.
So much for that sharing spirit.
My sister lets her boys use it sometimeswhen Dick is at work , but is terrified to do that too often because if they do somehow break it Dick will freak out and beat them.
Yes I did say beat them, but don't worry it doesn't happen very often and it's only when he's really super mad so it's okay...right. ;(
Yeah Dick is a real hero.