Lydia's reactions were so cute this year. I gave her a package of socks. When she opened them she jumped up and down and said, "Socks! Just what I always wanted for Christmas!"
When Daddy opened up his hot sauce he had gotten from Paul, Lydia jumped up and down and said, "Yeah, Daddy! Hot sauce for your food!"
Joel is still a bit young to "get" the whole present opening thing, so Lydia graciously helped him open his gifts. When she got the paper off of the little truck Joel received, she said, "Yeah Joel! A truck! A truck!" It was so kind of Lydia to provide her little brother her present-opening services as well as the appropriate reaction to the present.
In Lydia's defense, she had to watch everyone else open presents because we saved her present, the dollhouse, for the very last. First, she opened up the little Ty dolls that Grace and Elizabeth gave her. There were four dolls, all exactly the same. We found them at Goodwill so they were within the girls' budget. Lydia was delighted. Then we had Lydia open the furniture that came with the dollhouse. She was so excited she could hardly contain herself. We let her play with the dolls and the furniture for a few minutes and then I said, "Lydia, what do you think your dolls might need to keep them warm and dry?" As we all marched upstairs, Lydia said, "I know! Coats!" When we got upstairs we told her to take the sheet off of the big thing in the corner. After she removed the sheet and saw the dollhouse, she stood and stared silently for a brief moment. Lydia--at a loss for words--pretty amazing. Then she started jumping and cheering. The whole family got a big kick out of watching her reaction.
The biggest hit of the night, however, was a large magnifying glass that Grace and Elizabeth bought Paul at the dollar store. All the little kids loved it. Joel picked it up and looked through it and Paul said, "Look! Joel wants to investigate, too!"
As we were readying ourselves for bed Grace asked, "Mommy, when is it that you loose all the little kid anticipation of opening your gifts?" I asked her, "Why, did that happen to you?" "Yeah," she said. I went on to explain that it's hard to put a finger on it, but one year, when you're about thirteen, you realize you don't have all that wonderful anticipation anymore. Then you begin to get more enjoyment out of watching others open their gifts. That's why Mommy and Grandma are always last to open their gifts.
Today is our day to ready ourselves and the house for tomorrow. The septic has been pumped (more on that another day) in anticipation of the extra family we're expecting. Matt is going to pick up a birthday cake for Jesus at Dairy Queen because I didn't make a Red Velvet cake in my effort to "simplify." I'm going to try to get all the laundry done so I won't have to worry about it on Christmas. By tonight we'll have our work done and we'll cuddle up around the fire, finish hanging the ornaments on the Jesse Tree and remind ourselves of the greatest gift of all--the Christ child.
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