About a hundred years ago when I had one very small daughter who was a first grandchild on both sides of the family. We had lived in Germany for two years (where she was born) when we came home for her 2 year old Christmas, to meet all the rest of the family for the first time.
We spent Christmas Eve with my mother playing Santa at her house, then drove to my dad's house to sleep so we could do Christmas Morning Santa with him. By noon Christmas Morning we were on a flight across the state to my DH's parents' house to do the Santa thing all over again for the third time.
We were all exhausted and cranky!
I decided right then that from that year on, no matter where we lived, we were going to be in OUR house for Christmas and they could all come to us! Stuck by that, too, through another marriage and another "first grandchild" on that side of the family.
Somehow mailing all the gifts, though, has become a burden over the years and now we mostly trade gift cards and/or direct delivery gifts. I am so thankful for the internet to relieve the stress of the harried shopping!
Jan in VA