Excited to See my Kids

One of my favorite things about the holidays is that it is the one time of year that our family is altogether again.  With the kids being all grown up now, it seems that we are all rarely together, but thankfully they still come home for Christmas.

All three of my children are in college right now pursuing their dreams.  We saved up money for each of them so that they could go to college, and I am happy to say that they all are taking it seriously.

Jake is in his third year of Culinary school and he is showing real talent.  I never knew that food could be prepared as well as he does, and it is truly a treat to enjoy just a small sample of food he prepares.  He is doing so well that he has been offered a teaching position after he gets his culinary arts degrees – and he might just take it.

Melissa is in her second year of accounting, and she is a whiz with numbers.  She has won a number of scholarships already this year, and it looks like her education is going to be cheaper than we thought.

Levi has just entered his first year of Engineering and is doing well.  He hasn’t decided what discipline he wants to specialize in, but we know he will do great in whatever he chooses.

They should all be here at home by the weekend – I can’t wait to give each one of them a big hug and spend some time with them.  I miss them a lot.

Gifts for the December Graduates

Even though most people finish their college degrees in April, there are many students that finish college in December as well.  Most of these students have either took more classes than the typical person, or may have spent summers studying while their peers were out working summer jobs.  Whatever the reason, these graduates deserve a graduation present for their hard work, right?

But one of the challenges facing people buying gifts for graduates in December is the seeming lack of gift choices.  During the holiday shopping season, most stores are focusing on gifts for the masses and they usually put away those gifts typically bought for graduates such as diploma frames.

So what options are there?

Many people look to other types of gifts that are offered year round, such as engraved watches, plaques, briefcases when they are unable to find a college diploma frame for their graduate.  They can serve as recognition for a job well done until stores start to sell frames, at which time many parents buy one so that their child can put their diploma on the wall.

If none of those gift ideas seem to be appealing, looking for items that can be useful in the graduates career can be appropriate gifts as well.  Such things as suits, laptop bags, and pen sets can be useful and a good reminder of all the hard work that they put in during school.

No matter what choices you make for a gift for your December graduate, I am sure that they will appreciate the recognition for a job well done.