Christmas Eve Eve is when the serious business of Christmas gets done. It has to - or else. The malls were hopping, the streets jam packed, the grocery stores raided. Today was the day we all got ready for Christmas....
So I took care of my wife's gift during lunch (she's going to love it) and then tonight after work I loaded the four kiddos in the car for our annual trip to the mall to buy their gifts for Mom.
We've hit the local giant department store for each of the last four Christmases to find her gift and each year it's been a hilarious, yet stressful, adventure. I try my best to let them pick the gifts out myself. The first year, when my oldest was 5 and the youngest was 2 they wanted to buy her diamonds and negligees. We settled for costume jewelry and a nightgown.
Mom was thrilled.
My oldest is now 9 and my youngest is still 2 (we added a 4th a couple years back). It was fun seeing how much they've grown in four years. They each wanted to find the perfect gift and they all had their own opinions about Mom's "style." My 2nd daughter (she's 7) was right on target. My 2 year old, an energetic firecracker of a boy, somehow stumbled into a gift I know my wife is going to wear every day for the next two years, and proceeded to spend the rest of the night sneaking off, hiding behind clothes racks and scaring his poor dad to death.
"Where's Trey?!?!" I yelled at his sisters 20 different times.
They would immediately spread the store like miniature female Navy Seals and track their little brother down, after which they'd pin the squealing little rascal to the floor until I caught up.
I died 1000 deaths tonight.
But when it was all over we had four great gifts for Mom. I'd tell you what they were, but she reads my site.
After meeting my wife/their mom for pizza we came home, took baths and then snowballed on the couch for the yearly viewing of Polar Express. They're still young enough to watch with wide eyes as the waiters dance through the box car pouring steaming cups of hot chocolate, and of course I served up the real thing for them, too.
They loved it.
Santa Claus is coming, and when he does it'll be from a North Pole that looks just like the one in Polar Express. There's not a better movie to watch with four cute little kids on Christmas Eve Eve.
I did it. One more day to go...
Christmas Eve Eve was a success. Here's to an even better Christmas Eve.
Merry Christmas everyone!
