FEEDING THE BEAST

I haven't posted in a while mostly because I am busy! Busy cleaning, doing laundry, organizing closets and drawers; BORING! I am also busy working more than I'd like
and trying to do some Christmas shopping.
This year we decided that we were no longer going to "feed the beasts". Yep, I know it is hard to believe but this year we really mean it! Not so much Paige but certainly Shane. Shane started driving this year and got a Jeep and 6 months worth of insurance to go with it along with many, many tank fulls of gas. He also happens to have a dad that NEVER says NO to ANYTHING!This is fine but when is he going to learn about responsibility and ownership and all those hated mature things that we must learn at some point?????? HMMMMM???????
Anyway, 2 years ago it was the original X-Box for both kids, last year it was the x-Box 360 for Shane and the "Fly-pen" , complete with every stinking accessory they make for it and a DELL computer set up also complete with all the bells, whistles and a printer for Paige and I-pods and MP3 players galore along with portable DVD players and a host of other things that they HAD to have and barely use!. Three years ago, Shane got a 1,000.00 snowboard set up with "pimped out" (shanes words, not mine) binding and the best boots we could buy for a size 13 foot.
Now, as most of you would agree, kids today have too damn much STUFF.I undersstand that Jim wants to shower his kids with everything he never had and lets face it, I never had a barbie doll until I turned 40 and Jim me bought me the Ireland Barbie (yes, I had dolls, but NEVER a barbie; my mother always thought that Barbies were too "sexy" and wouldn't promote a good image to me! LOL! Ummmm........but I have the same things as Barbie don't I?)
Well, all that aside, my kids are growing up and honestly, they really DO NOT Need all that stuff to collect. Really, they don't. My 11 yr.old sweet talked Jim into getting her a cell phone last week. Of course it is nice to dial a number and get in contact with her but my mother just opened the door and yelled for me and that worked equally as well. OK, so she is out riding her bike and running back and forth to friends but she could just borrow my phone, right???? Shane has the PS1, PS2, x-box, x-box 360, & PSP. What does he need the PS3 for??? I mean, people are killing each other over a game system!!!! He has an i-pod and an mp3; must he have the zune too???? And lets not forget that the Wii is only 250.00 right now! Hey, what a bargain!
All that said, we will no longer feed the beasts. I mean it this time, I really do! It is going to stop right now, this minute!It is great that our kids have more than we ever had but it is a crime that they have so much, they think they need more. And on that note, I will leave with this to ponder:

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey