The First Gift of Christmas

On Christmas Eve, after all the traditional happenings, it was time to settle the children down so the elves could get to work. Not an easy task. We had to read a few Christmas books: The Polar Express {we believe in this household & we do hear the ringing} and The Night Before Christmas. After reading that story I can never resist going to the front door and opening it to yell in my loudest & jolliest voice into the dark cold outside, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" This is the most embarrassing thing a parent can do in front of their older children. I don't care. I still do it. And they actually follow me, hanging back a few feet, to see if I'm really going to do it.

This time Andrew yelled out the door too. So fun..:)

Then comes the great pleasure of tucking Andrew into bed for a long winter's night. I knelt next to his bed for 10 minutes or so just listening to him talk about all his Christmas wishes. The first wish he explained in detailed was how he knew Santa would bring him a John Deer tractor to ride on in the back yard. This is the thing he asked Santa for when he saw him at his preschool Christmas Party. I couldn't help the smile and happy heart as I listened...

A very good friend of mine had called me a few weeks ago to get the okay on a special surprise for Andrew from her 10 year old son. He was given a front loader as a gift one year and has out grown it and wanted to pass it on to a fellow tractor lover. We all know Andrew's dream to be a "Working Dad." Plans were made and the time was set for the special delivery. How wonderful to be on this end of the giving. It felt so good to know that Andrew would be the receiver of such a thoughtful & perfect gift, especially since we could not possible give him that amazing wish this year.

So the bell rang and we rushed Andrew to the front door to answer it. He had already been asleep for ten minutes. He couldn't believe his eyes. He was so confused but so happy. He rode it into the house and road it around in the living room {still no furniture} and he gave Peter a few rides. Then I read the note to him.

And with a beaming smile he said, "Mom, I'm so happy right now." I'll always remember how that felt. Amazing. He'll be hearing the ringing of Santa's bells for a long time. We all will. Thank you dear friends.:)

The Honesty of a Child

I was reading a new book to Andrew and after a few pages of the Wheels on the Truck I realized that it rhymed and went to the tune of the Wheels on the Bus. So I started to sing the words instead of just reading them. Then after I finished the 34 page [long] story [34 verses] Andrew, with a seriously disappointed face, said, "Grandma sings better than you." Oh, the sadness of disappointing your children....

These are the "papa's" as lovingly called by Peter. Yes, he even calls grandma, papa. Maybe we're the confused ones. But the other day I heard him call grandpa, "Daddy papa." Their church mission was interrupted by Peter's diagnosis. Grandma received an early release to come and rescue us. Poor grandpa had to finish up the mission without his companion. They were the Southern California Public Affairs Missionaries. Very busy mission.

I tease them that they are on their second mission. It's definitely a service mission. They are happy to help all they can. What a relief because we need a lot of help. They take turns with my duties of carpooling. They take turns with working my hours in preschool if I can't or watch Peter so I can be with Andrew. They go to an early Sunday Sacrament meeting-not their own, so I can go to church with the children while they stay with Peter. Then Grandma treats us with a wonderful Sunday dinner. It's always a treat! And if John & I need to be somewhere together then they watch Peter. And what a lucky boy. It's all play with the papa's. Andrew begs to go to the papa's home every day. Another lucky boy because he gets undivided attention, Happy Meals for lunch, and Slurpee's. See what I mean? I beg to go to the papa's home too.

Many people look towards their retirement years for a long awaited break, relaxation, more time to do the things you've always wanted to do. Doug and Kathy are asking, "retirement?"... They've never been busier. Sorry about that. I guess those are the blessings you get when you have children and grandchildren that adore you and live close by. We couldn't handle this trial without them. They are our mortal angels.

These are parents that don't disappoint.