Christmas Morning with the Kids

My wife and I were agonizing over what to get the kids that year. They were boys ages five and eight. We watched all the ads on television, took note of all the hottest toys out there on the market, and finally decided on a few high tech toys we thought they would absolutely love. There were a few things they asked for we knew we had to get them.

There were the action figures from Beasties (a retake from the original Transformers); we bought two each for them. They were pretty wicked action figures if I say so myself. They also asked for remote control cars, since they were new to these types of toys we went with the midrange priced ones. We didn't want to get the real cheap ones and we felt they were not ready for the ones that can cost up in the hundreds of dollars. We got them their needed items like socks, underwear and a couple of outfits. We knew we would get the typical "thanks mom, and dad" response, clothes are never cool but are an essential and needed part of Christmas gifts.

Then we picked out their prize gifts, I like to call them their big enchilada gifts. Playstation was the big ticket item that year and we went with that and also a 19 inch color television for their room so they could play the video games without the ruckus bothering us (little did I know I would be more hooked playing these games than them later on). We couldn't wait to see their faces when they opened these gifts we knew we were going to get "you are the greatest parents ever!" line for sure.

The days went by and each evening after supper the boys would take a candy out of their Nativity Advent Calendar, their excitement growing with each chocolate consumed. I have to say ours was growing as well. Not in hopes of what we had purchased for each other, the two of us knew each other well enough to know we wouldn't be disappointed with what we received but our excitement lay in the hopes we had done well as parents. Nothing makes a parent more proud than to give their children everything they dream for.

It was so perfect, the wife and I along with her mother and other members of her family made our way for our yearly pilgrimage to a beautiful ceremony to celebrate Christ's birth. It always gives me chills when they open up the service with the brass band and entourage traveling down the walkway playing Oh Come All Ye Faithful. After listening to the story of Christmas and taking our bread and wine we headed back to my wife's brother's house. Having our traditional eggnog and chat session it was getting late and Santa still had to bring out all the gifts to place under the tree.

As we drove it couldn't be more perfect of a setting, a nice strong snowfall had just begun and we knew it was going to be a beautiful white Christmas morning. When we got into the door our next door neighbor babysitter said the boys were so excited it put them in a deep slumber. I could only picture sugar plums dancing in their heads. I went into the closet and brought out all the gifts and placed them under the tree. We finished by filling all the stockings with all the standard stuff, new toothbrushes for everyone, an orange, an apple, candy and little wrapped gifts (stupid stuff all kids love from the local dollar store). When my wife and I sat back and enjoyed a nice hot chocolate we looked over the site before us beaming with pride. The over abundance of gifts and stuffed socks was a site to behold (if only everyone could be as lucky as we were that night).

Now I always gave to our church and the Angel Tree (a local charity for unfortunate kids, the wife and I always picked presents for the older children to put underneath the tree. In the time of giving a lot of people love to get the real young kids gifts but the older ones can be left out.) So as we reflected on those less fortunate we thanked God for our blessings and headed to a night of not much sleep. We always tried to beat the kids up and when you have kids so excited they seem to get up earlier and earlier each year.

At five in the morning we awoke and my wife put on a fresh pot of coffee. I went and grabbed my jiggle bells and headed to the boys' room. I lightly shook the bells and I could hear their excitement and fear. The two of them actually thought Santa was just outside their room that very moment! Then I opened the door and saw them both pull the covers over the heads trying in vain to fake being asleep. When I finally called to them it was time to open the gifts they bolted from their room.

They each opened their gifts in their stockings and it was time for the big presents. They gave their mother and me high fives on the action figures and remote control cars then when we pulled out the big box their eyes became huge. It didn't take them seconds to tear the paper away. They jumped up and down when they saw the television for their room. The little one jumped up so hard he fell right on his backside. We all giggled at his slip and the wife and I knew we had done well. The boys were happy and still excited when the older one pointed to one last box and asked who that was for.

I grabbed the last present and read out the card. Merry Christmas Jake and Steven I hope you get hours of fun from this present. Then I handed them the box, they opened it without haste. The older one just kept saying "Oh my God!" my younger one was so happy tears rolled down his face. It was then my wife and I knew we had just given the boys a Christmas they would always remember.