Good Gifts

As our little elves began distributing the gifts from under the tree on Christmas morning, it became increasingly clear that our kids made quite the haul!  As they sat buried under boxes and bags and ribbons, it was fun to see the anticipation on their faces ... "What could be in there?!?!" ... and the subsequent joy after the flurry of unwrapping ... "Just what I wanted!!"  It was almost impossible to keep them focused on the process of unwrapping when there was so much they wanted to start playing with.

Now, a few weeks after the Present Palooza, it has been fun to see what gifts have sifted to the surface.

For Aaron, we have been more than a little surprised to find that he suffers from an intense addiction to Extreme Dot-to-Dot-ism.  He spent the better part of New Year's Eve day connecting the dots from 1 to 1,400 and discovering T-Rexes and wooly mammoths in the midst of a sea of what looks like an ant farm.  Such fun to see him latch on to something that isn't plugged in.

Norah has bounced back and forth between tending to her doll with her new American Girl "Feel-Better" kit and her pink, sporty watch.  When she's not helping Mia and her broken leg around on the little silver crutches, she is timing herself.  How fast can she tie her shoe?  8.25 seconds. Can you beat that?

Ashley is the most flighty in trying to focus on her favorite gifts.  While she loves her Toy Story Trash Truck Lego Set, she is most fanatical about her spoforkife.

What is that you ask?

Why, it's this little jobbie:

from REI

Each of the kids got one in their stocking and they have been used for every meal since!  I don't mind as it has cut down on my dishwashing ... at least in the utensil department.

Lydia is deeply in love with her Puppy Pursuit Game ... and I have been deeply in love with sending her off to hide and seek her little puppies.  And getting a few moments to breathe.  And brush my teeth.  Actually Norah is an expert puppy-hider and and both Ashley and Lydia excel in puppy sleuthing.  Where could little Bandit be?  Maybe he's under the stool in the bathroom or on top of the dryer.  Better go look ... and let Mommy finish going potty. :)

All four kids are enjoying toasty little tootsies in their woolen slippers from Greece via Auntie Steph:

As for me ... I have enjoyed the scrumptious box of goodies from my Mom and Sis.  Part of me wants to save them for something special.  The other part of me wants to savor and sample it all.  And the last little bit of me wants to scarf it all down.  Save?  Savor?  Scarf?  I'm leaning toward the savor ... but that cashewella is begging to be eaten.  With a spoon.

And my sparkly blue sashay scarf from my mother-in-law ... the one that garners me compliments wherever I go.  And my lemon hand scrub from my brother and sis-in-law ... a spa moment in a jar.  And my new jeans that fit ... and fit. :)

We were each the recipients of such delightful and thoughtful gifts.  Gifts that were given with each of us in mind and that is what makes those little packages under the tree so precious.  In this way, we, as givers, have the opportunity to imitate God in our giving. We may never be able to give quite like Him, but with our hearts in the right place, we can experience the joy that comes with giving a gift from the heart!  And delight in the joy of the recipient, too!

¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)