bah hum-bug?

Bill has not sold a painting for over 2 1/2 months, so needless to say finances are a little tight. None the less we have been very blessed and are not destitute or homeless...yet:-) Normally I would feel very sad that I can't give my kids any real Christmas gifts, but not this year. I feel like we have been going another direction with Christmas for a few years now. We weren't even going to introduce the concept of Santa to Danni, but the older kids insisted last year. I know it sounds like I'm taking away the magic of Christmas for the little ones, and since most of the people who read this are young moms, I can imagine you think I'm a hum bug. But I feel like the magic isn't wrapped up in wrapping paper. It's the heart of the season. The kids have been told that they shouldn't expect gifts, and so far there hasn't been any complaining. We'll be in TN in a hotel (thanks to some good friends:-) Christmas morning anyway, so it will probably seem like any other day. We'll be able to enjoy the important things in life on Christmas Eve, and that's family! I love the decorations and spirit of the season, just not a big fan of the commercialism and gift expectations of it. I'm sure I'll re-visit this subject as the season continues, and I'd love to hear your take on it!