If you go away for Christmas

What do you do about gifts? Do you lug it all with you? Or do you just bring a couple of things and open the rest when you return home? How do you explain about Santa?

Re: If you go away for Christmas

Last year we had to deal with this. We went back to NY for Christmas. We stayed with my MIL, who had a tree, and of course Santa was there to leave the kids gifts. However we told the kids (DS was old enough to understand) that Santa had also visited our house back in Canada and left the rest of their presents there because it would be too much for us to take home in the car. He was only 3 and didn't ask about how Santa would get in the house or anything. I probably would have sold him on the chimney theory.

We didn't bring any gifts with us because we were with MIL. If we went away, like on a vacation, I would bring gifts secretly and leave them by the hotel room door in the morning so the kids could see that Santa knew where they were and brought them a few things for Christmas morning but left the rest at your house.