Oops

So I may have bribed Logan with putting up the Christmas tree if he didn't cry at drop off today.  Monday was tough.  His giant grey eyes filled with tears and turned them a shade of blue and begged me not to leave.  I finally left and was met with Isabel crying in the car.  So I started crying and we were all crying.  It was great.  What a nice start to the week.  Logan has been having a tough time transitioning to his new routine.  He has to go to bed an hour earlier, wake up and hour earlier, gets no morning TV time and his routine is totally blown.  I usually let the kids eat their banana and watch a show in the morning while I get ready.  Now it's just rush rush rush to get out the door.  I know he'll get used to it, but it's so hard to see him upset.

Today he came home and I knew he has had library today so I asked him if I could see the book he checked out.  We stopped on the driveway and I read him his book.  Honestly, it was the dumbest book I've ever read.  Maybe it went over my head?  It was so stupid.  Something about cats (?!) and a sea and seeing a sea.  Anyway, I was like WTF is this book?!

So I also promised him that he could watch "Prep and Landing" after school.  It's this adorably cute short film (35 minutes?) about Santa's Prep and Landing team.  They go in and prepare houses for Santa's arrival.  Logan LOVES it.  I love it!  It's really cute.  Today he was super into it and was acting out scenes.  I caught a little of it (after the fact) on the ipad.  I wish I would have captured it when it happened.  I was rolling on the floor laughing.

We picked Isabel up from school and I told her I needed to go to Target and get a bin for the adoption coalition gifts.  She asked what adoption coalition meant so I told her that her class was buying gifts for a boy and a girl that didn't have a family like she had and that needed some help buying present for Christmas.  She thought for a second and then said "Well, I can give them some of my present from my birthday party."  And then she really started asking me about why they didn't have families like hers and what that meant.  So I tried explaining it the best I could.  She then replied "Well, I can give them all of my birthday presents."  So right when I questioning if I am cut out for this whole parenting gig she says something like that.  I couldn't have been more proud.  So we get our bin and then head home.  Once we get home I make a little sign for the class.  Something like "Put your gifts here," but hopefully more eloquently stated.  She says to me "So I need to fill up that bin with my toys to give to the other kids?'  Awesome girl right there.

If you know me at all you know that I truly utterly, hopelessly L.O.V.E. all things Christmas.  Like everything.  I love the decorations, the food, etc etc.  The reason I love it so much is really the gifts.  Not getting gifts, but giving gifts.  Even the gift of a kind word or gesture in the holiday season gets me.  It really brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart.  I know that sounded super douchebagy, but I'm sure that's why most people love the Christmas season. It's truly not about the getting but about the giving.  When I've literally been looking all year for the perfect present to present to my loved ones on Christmas and I feel like I've nailed it and that I can't wait to give them their gift.  That's truly a gift to me.  To see that (hopefully) look on a loved ones face is priceless.

I remember the first year Brian and I were married.  We decided to save money on gifts and make candles for our relatives.  Brian was a 1L (first year law student) and I was a research assistant making very little money.  We were scraping by.  We spend so much time making these candles.  Honestly, we probably would have saved money just buying gifts, but I will never forget the long nights candle making in our tiny apartment with our little black dog at our feet..  We had so much fun drinking too much beer and making ridiculous candles in MacDonald's ice cream sundae cups.  It's one of my best memories with Brian.  I can literally go back in time and be standing in that kitchen frothing the top on some candles with Brian next to me laughing hysterically.  That, my friends, is the good stuff.