Christmas Past

What a busy month December has been! The shopping for just the right gifts for loved ones, the mailing and the anxious wait for the last package to be delivered safely, not to mention the decorating, baking and cooking! Now the month (and the year!) is about to wind up, and I can take a moment to catch my breath!

I sent presents to our youngest grandchildren early, so they could enjoy them before the crush of Christmas gifts they were sure to receive descended upon them. Thanks to Face Time, I got to see five-year-old Maddie and Anne-Marie, 8, open the box that came in the mail that day. (One-year-old Isaac was asleep.) Smiles of delight were on both ends of the camera as they tore into playthings and a new outfit for each of them.

"Why don't you let them unwrap Isaac's present for him?" I suggested to their parents, to which our son replied, "Oh, no! He will open his own when he wakes up!"

"He might not know how!" I protested, but his mommy said I might be surprised. And I was! Apparently he remembered from his birthday a few weeks before, because when he awoke bright and alert from his nap, Isaac wasted no time in ripping the paper and tossing it aside!

When he spied a toy, he would clap his little hands in glee while I laughed in amazement. It was almost like being there! What pure delight to see him dance around and run after a toy truck as it spun in circles! Then when he pulled out a bright green play outfit, he clasped the clothes to his chest and rushed to Mommy with them!

I knew Isaac would have to grow a little for his clothes to fit, but I was hoping the girls' outfits would work. Finally I got a phone picture of them modeling the clothes, and they looked adorable. Their father said they wore them to the Christmas Eve services.

Anne-Marie's red dress and white vest of curly faux fur belted at the waist was cute with the boots she was wearing. Maddie's animal-print furry jacket over stretchy, black pants trimmed with fur at the ankles made her say admiringly, "Look, it has ruffles!"

Whenever Howard had asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I couldn't think of anything. Neither could he, but he finally decided he wanted a robe, which we shopped for two days before Christmas. But I was smart and went to the After-Christmas sales and scored big on bargains! As Tiny Tim would say, "God bless us every one!" And He did!