Christmas Gift Conundrum

I'm sort of sad to say that Christmas has become a little stressful in large part to extreme generosity.  It sounds kind of strange, but it's a fact.  Our children are so loved that it seems that they are given mounds of gifts (not by one singular person, just as a whole).

As parents trying to teach our children appreciation for all things - no matter their simplicity - the number of gifts that the kids are presented with this time of year is well, like throwing a wrench in the teaching that we've been working on all year round.

It's not anyone's fault.  We appreciate the givers and their intentions and generosity.  But we aren't so sure that the kids are as appreciative as they should be; and that is extremely concerning.  How appreciative would you be if you had all your needs and more met on a regular basis, and then added to at Christmas and on birthdays?  I know I probably wouldn't be as thankful as I could or should be.

Please don't misunderstand, we want our kids to have the best, just as those who love to gift them do.  We want to always give them things that will leave them reeling in pure awe and joy.  But we can't.  We can't do what we want to do because it wouldn't be fair to what we are hoping to develop in them - respect, thankfulness, and true appreciation for sacrifice.  If they were given all we wanted to give them, they would not be growing in the virtues that help them toward heaven.

Is it like this in your home?  Do you worry about seeing that "glazed" look in your children's eyes as they face yet another pile of gifts or even just one gift, knowing that one gift from each of the people at the gathering which, when totaled, adds up to another mini-mountain?  Do you worry that the gift-giver will feel that their efforts are unappreciated when your child doesn't really take the time to stop or show appreciation (or shows appreciation until they see the next gift, at which point they drop the previous gift abruptly and move on to the next new thing)?  I do.

This year, I am working diligently on a plan and, fortunately, we have great parents who are so loving to us that they respect our wishes for our children.  Our parents ask us what our kids would like, which is very helpful as it allows me to ban those things that we already have too much of or don't need any of.  This includes toys (banned this year), books (banned this year unless specifically requested), electronics (banned unless approved), and movies (a certain list approved, the rest are banned).  It really doesn't matter to me if this appears extreme, because I know our intentions are honorable.  Besides, I live with all the stuff that our kids are given.  Trust me, we are hardly lacking in books and toys.  Trust me, most electronic devices will either get broken, will waste time, will create mindlessness in the kids, or a combination of all of the above.  :-)

My plan, I think, is a good one: for those who ask, give good, honest suggestions on gifts of which we approve.  The hard part is coming up with enough ideas!  Every year, it seems like we end up using sharing all our ideas and coming up dry with what we ourselves can give our kids.  It's a problem that is rooted in love and kindness, but still can add a bit of stress to the holiday, unfortunately.

However, with your help and a bit of research, it's my hope that everyone can enjoy the giving and our kids will be appreciative receivers.  So here's my question: what are some of your ideas of simple Christmas gifts ideas that won't be overwhelming or spoiling?

Here's what I've got so far:
-a refrigerator box
-Catholic saint movies
-a fresh set of markers
-a new pair of tennis shoes for each child

Any other ideas?

Oh, and one last thing - is it rude to ask that gifts are limited to three per child per person who is giving?  That's a new standard we want to set, but I don't want to hurt any feelings or make it appear as though we are ungrateful.