On the giving of gifts.

I'm not going to lie: I love presents. I wish I were a better person, but at this point in my life, I don't see that happening.

(BTW, I had several Xmas ideas to post for you, but in the interest of catching up before next Christmas, I'll just put most of that into the scrapbooks and move forward here. But I do have to post this one, at least.)

As long as I'm being totally honest, I'll just go ahead and admit that presents are my favorite part of the holiday season. Yes, I realize this truth makes me the villain in every Christmas move ever -- you know, those movies that won't rest until you know that Christmas is more than presents. So, fine, I get the message. It is more than just what I receive, and it truly is the giving that. I love looking for ideas, shopping, making stuff, and wrapping stuff. Turns out the only part of presents I hate is the shipping. Though I do love packages on my doorstep.

But like most parents, I want my child to grow up to be better than me, and this is a perfect place to start. This year, Lily really gets this whole Christmas thing. She can't stop singing Christmas carols, she can't get enough Christmas books. She wants Santa to know she's nice, and she wants a Pocahontas doll. Watching her soak up the magic of it all, I can't help but want to protect that for her, for as long as I can.

Presents, love them though I do, can have a way at eroding the magic.

So I decide that  I need to explore this whole gift-giving thing with my Lily, and I need to try to show her that the season of giving is more than just stuff made by Santa's elves or by underpaid people in China. There really is something in picking the right gift, and watching someone open your gift that makes you happy.

We started with our neighbors. We bought some of Jen's Chai (click that for the link and get you some of your own) to give to our neighbors. Specifically for the joy of giving with nothing in return.

Sidenote: You have no idea the influence and impression you make on small children. Play with them, love them, give them a half a second of your very precious time, and they will never care whether or not they get presents at Christmas, but I promise you they will know you, remember you, talk about you, and get excited at the idea of seeing you again.

I know that Lily loved to give these gifts because they came from Jen. It's been well over a year since the last time Lily saw Jen, and yet she still talks about her. All the time. Kids just want someone who makes them feel special, and now I can't mention my little brother Ben without her adding, "and Jen." 

 

When we dropped off the last box of tea with my neighbors, I was in a bit of a hurry to get home because I knew there was something really extraordinarily special to come that night. But my little girl surprised me. They said thank you, and some small talk, and then as we walked away from the last house, Lily stopped. She turned to me and said, "You say 'welcome?'" Yes, Lily love, I did. I swear. (I think.)

Other sidenote: Oh my mother trucking GAWD, Jen's chai is amazing. We've only used it so far in hot apple cider, but WOW, it's awesome. And the potpourri she sells is also awesome. Smells fantastic and spicy. Vomit car no more!

 

Another gift giving event that has become tradition is the crappy gift exchange party ever year. Simple rules: bring one, get one. Less than $5. Re-gifting is ideal. Just for fun, and it always makes for a good laugh. At this prize Tere and Ivan captured. Pretty sure we'll see that in Crappy Gift Exchange 2012.

 

Baby Cami with soon-to-be-Daddy, Chad. Cami takes what she wants, or at the very least, she tries.

 

The humor of a crappy gift is lost on a preschooler, so we got to watch them open real presents. Lily helped me wrap the gift for Jade. She struggled a little because she wanted to keep the Tinkerbell bowling set, but eventually decided to accept that it wasn't hers, and maybe Santa would bring one for her. 

Notice the teddy bear that  Lily's carrying? His name is Dooces, and she went NO.WHERE. without him for days. Thank you, Marina and Chad for a super-successful choice! As for the bowling pins, she forgot about that toy by the very next morning. People, she remembers for months and months and years, too.

Then there was the matter of  what to do about Lily giving gifts from her. We did some handmade stuff, of course, but I also wanted her to GIVE a present she earned with HER OWN money, now that she's developed a vague understanding of money. So just before Christmas, I gave her the opportunity to earn enough money to pick out something for her dad and something for Kitty. From the dollar store, but obviously, that's not the point.

Naturally, Lily picked a variety of items for both recipients, i.e., every thing that sparkled and caught her eye.  With a little help, she narrowed her selections for one for each. Decision made, she marched up tot he front checkout to see the "Payer." 

When we got home, Lily wanted to wrap her presents all by herself. Try to intervene and you might get cut.

She even wrote the tags, which she pretty well for a 3-year-old, this proud mama has to admit. Pretty sure her handwriting is better than mine.

She put the presents underneath the tree. In case you wondered, Daddy got a fishing game and Kitty got a new food dish, and she was proud.
Store-picked and hand-wrapped gifts are good. Homemade gifts are better. But the best gift is time spent with friends and family -- especially surprise visitors from 1,500 miles north of Tampa.

I had been texting with Erik, my big brother, all day. On Thanksgiving, he told me that he and Ben were going someplace warm for Christmas. I pointed out that Florida's warm, but he made it  clear that they were going on their own vacation.

So when I got the day I got the text that they were indeed coming to Florida, and Tampa was a planned stop, I was more than a little excited.

I almost jumped out of my chair. "Don't tell Mom!" was the biggest part of my response. I could tell from phone calls and emails that Nana's feelings about this Christmas were bittersweet. Yes, Christmas with us and her granddaughter. But No Ben. No Erik. No sisters. Not the same. So what better way to mitigate that feeling with this surprise?

The day of their arrival, Erik kept me aware of their progress all day. What time are you leaving? What time do you expect to get here? What do you want for dinner? FINALLY, I checked my phone and read:"We're on Bruce B. Downs."

Ack! All day long, I had been meaning to pick up the living room a bit, or at least, vacuum. But it was a busy day and I kept pushing it back. But with Erik and Ben only minutes away, I had run out of time.

As I cleaned, Lily and Nana snuggled up under blankets, Nana's first chance to rest all day, but Lily wasn't going to let her have it alone. I saw them cuddling together, and I so in love with that moment, I hated to end it. Quiet moments like that are really rare, especially for Nana.

But there was a knock on the door.

"Mom, could you get that? I just need to finish the floor quick," I asked. 

Such a lame excuse, made all the more unconvincing because I was cleaning. Obviously, Nana knew this was no ordinary knock on the door.

So cuddle-time ended, Nana got up and opened the door.

 

  And when she did, she saw her firstborn. Best. Christmas. present. By a long shot.