During most of Lucy’s naptime today, I wrapped presents. Lots of them.
I wrestled with the cheap wrapping paper I mistakenly bought (never again!), cut out little tags to identify recipients, patched up holes in the packages where I misjudged the amount of paper needed, tied and curled ribbons to adorn a few boxes. Lucy snoozed.
In the middle of this gift-wrapping fury, I grabbed a little book I bought for Lucy. “Do I really need to wrap this?” I wondered. “I’ll be the one opening it, probably.” But I did, and I’m glad, because my favorite part of the whole day was writing on a little tag:
bq. to: Lucy
from: Mama
…and then wiping tears away from my eyes. Who could have imagined how special it would be to give your own daughter a Christmas gift?
Isn’t it so much fun! I also love having maddy help me wrap daddy’s gift. There are some many rips in the paper and tape on the cats, but she had a blast. I can’t wait for monday….it better come soon or I will go broke…I keep buying her more and more! Today I told Brian that maybe we better not have a second one, I will really be in $$$ trouble.
We opted to only get one gift for each child as they get so much from their grandparents… we have so many toys in this house, it’s insane! But it is fun to pick out the gifts – Benjamin is getting a toy dirt devil vacuum. He loves the vacuum (he actually asks me to vacuum the floor fairly regularly), so it will be fun to see him have his own to play with. Plus this year he’ll actually be able to open the presents, although I’m betting he’ll still enjoy the wrapping paper more than the gifts…
My dear Ann,
Your message is sweet and I know just how you feel. What a precious priviledge it is to address that package to your own child. There will be many more packages over the years ahead, but this one memory will stay with you forever. We are blessed to have Lucia in our family, but we are equally blessed to have you in our family because of the love you show and share to everyone around you. Hmmmm, I think I have something wrapped for you – and I promise that it will be given with the same feeling that you hold for your daughter. I send you my love…
That’s really sweet, Grandpa Boyd. Thanks. :)
We too limit what we buy our kids. Grandparents and aunts and uncles love to spoil them rotten. This year we bought 3 gifts each. 1 each will sit out under the tree, unwrapped from Santa, and the other 2 wrapped from mom and dad. I think it’s good for them to know Christmas is a time of giving, and you do get, but it isn’t over-indulgence as tempting as that can be.
I hide wrapped gifts, as Kaia and the cats will unwrap. Also wrapping with any of them around (including the new crawler) is a disaster. I’ve given many a gift with claw marks from the cat attacking the paper. But being able to choose something special for our little ones is always heartwarming. I get the tears Christmas morning seeing the excitement in Kaia’s eyes.
FYI: about 1-2 weeks after Christmas, hit a store. I bought beautiful, heavy, flocked wrapping paper for 69 cents a roll. So this year my gifts look like I spent a fortune wrapping them.
I loved this entry, Ann. I can’t wait to do the same! I’m really looking forward to hanging three stockings.
I always remember my parents saying I was their best Christmas/birthday/whatever present – and thinking, “Gag me with a spoon.” But I have to say Miriam way outdoes any other presents we could get. That was a very sniffy post, Ann.
That was K-D.
Karl, I can totally picture you rolling your eyes & thinking that… That’s funny!
Christine just started giggling this week – SO CUTE. Just in time for visiting the grandparents this weekend. I could not think of a better Christmas present!