The Mug

Every year we give John money to buy Christmas gifts at the holiday shop at school. This year we did the same thing for Gillian. The gifts are normally nothing special, but it teaches them responsibility and they love picking out gifts. Gillian brought her gifts home and wanted to wrap them up immediately. We had John help her. Later that day, we all went shopping in Target. While we were there Daddy saw a display of mugs and said "You know the one thing I really want for Christmas is a new mug. But I don't think anyone will get me one." And he walked away. The kids stopped me. Gillian was grinning from ear to ear. She said "I got Daddy a mug! It's the one thing he wanted. And I got it for him!" She was so excited! John grinned too. Daddy later confided in me and said "I saw the kids wrapping my present." I said "You shouldn't tease her." He said "I'm not. Did you see her face? She was so excited!"

Daddy's birthday is a few days before Christmas and it presented another opportunity to talk about Daddy wanting a mug. At dinner one night, he said "I guess I'll have to use my birthday money to get a new mug for Christmas. I really want a new mug, but no one got me one for my birthday." Gillian smiled and said "Wait until after Christmas." Then she leaned over to me and whispered "I got him a mug! He only wanted a mug and I got him one!"

On Christmas Eve as I was tucking the kids in to bed, Gillian asked "Do we eat breakfast before we open presents?" I laughed "Is that because you want Daddy to have his mug right away?" She said "Yes!" I told her "Don't worry, we will make sure that Daddy gets his mug right away."

The next morning, the kids woke up and we headed right downstairs. The kids looked at all the presents and Daddy said "I would really like some coffee before we open gifts." Gillian ran to the tree, found her present and gave it to Daddy. He opened it up and he got his wish! A new mug! And Gillian made Daddy's wish come true!

Mother's Day

My kids made me some amazing Mother's Day gifts this year. Gillian made me a beautiful card. 

She wrote so neatly inside the card. I am very proud of her. There was a little box that she decorated and it had a note attached. 

She has told me like a million times "Don't open the box!"

John made me a beautiful bracelet and an awesome card. 

Number 3 is my favorite. 

I'm one lucky Mommy!

The book

John brought home a scholastic book order form a few weeks ago.  We let him pick out a few books.  As I was writing the check, he noticed that there was a My Little Pony book in the flyer.  He asked me "Can I get this for Gill?"  I said "Of course, and we can make it a surprise for Christmas."  He loved that idea.  And we submitted the order.  We discussed that we would put Gillian to bed early the night he got the book and then we would wrap it while she was sleeping.  That way it would be a surprise.  The next day he came home and said "No books yet."  I told him it would be awhile before the books would come in. 

I picked John up from school last Tuesday night and before we could leave school he stopped me.  He said "Can I tell you something?  We got the books today.  And you know what?  I wrapped Gillian's gift already.  But we wrapped it with tissue paper and it was see-through!  So we put a reindeer on it."  I asked him, "Did you tell Mrs. Belena that the book was for Gillian?"  He replied "Um yeah!"  He was so excited.  In the car on the way home, he told me "We gotta make sure she doesn't go in my bookbag.  We need to hide the book too!"  We hid the book later that night.

The next day at the bus stop, I asked him about his book order.  He said "Some of the kids laughed because I got a Pony book.  But I told them that it was for my sister.  Then they didn't laugh."  I asked him how he got Mrs. Belena to help him wrap it.  He said "I told her when I handed in my order!  She knew it was for my sister!"  I emailed Mrs. Belena to thank her for helping John.  She said "To see John so happy about giving was heartwarming."  I love my little man's big heart!

Mother's Day weekend

John brought home his Mother's Day gift on Thursday last week. He "hid" it on the windowsill in his room behind the "window sheets" (aka curtains).  When I was tucking him in on Thursday night, he told me "I can't wait to give you your gift tomorrow." I explained to him that Mother's Day was Sunday. He was very disappointed. He went to school on Friday. That night, the kids wanted to have a sleepover in John's bed. It didn't last. They were too close. So we moved Gillian to her bed and left John in his room. 

Saturday morning, I was just waking up in my room and I could hear John get up out of bed and fumble with the hallway gate. He came into my room holding his Mother's Day gift. I felt bad. It hurt to tell him that Mother's Day was Sunday. He didn't care. He just wanted to give me the gift. He have me a plant and the pot was colored by him. He was excited to tell me "There are two other pictures. You can change them. And I didn't finish coloring the last one. And Miss MaryEllen tied the bow!" He also gave me a beautiful card. He wrote it all by himself. We went downstairs so he could color the other liner for the pot. Gillian woke up and found us in the living room. She saw me with John's gift and had to run upstairs to get her gift. She gave me a cute card and a keychain with her picture on it. 

Sunday morning, Daddy ran out to get coffee and yummy bagel sandwiches from our favorite bagel place. While Daddy was out getting breakfast the kids climbed into bed with me. We snuggled and giggled. John asked "Where's Daddy?" I told him that Daddy ran out and would be back. John said "Well he is either working or golfing!" 

I got to spend the rest of the day with my family. I am very lucky to have such wonderful kids (and husband).