Christmas shopping and preparations reigned supreme today. Nina and I continued to work on wrapping and she finally decided which pillow pet she wanted to buy for daddy....a puppy :)
Once Teddy returned home from school, we went and found Cami and Katie and the kids exchanged Christmas gifts. They were all so happy to give each other their presents!! Such sweet friends. The Vinealls gave the kids Sponge Bob Operation, which Nina has been chanting about non-stop for the last week. She was so tickled! Additionally, Nina was very pleased with herself when Cami and Katie shouted for joy when they each discovered their own pillow pets! I have to say, Nina's pillow pet idea for gifts is a brilliant one!
After diner, while Todd and Nina worked on making more toffee and Swedish cookies, Teddy and I went shopping. Teddy needed to pick a present for his dad. Ever since the kids could walk I've taken them shopping for Todd's gift. I think it is really important for kids to participate in choosing gifts for a variety reasons. First, it teaches them how to be thoughtful about gift giving. So many times it seems that people just pick up a random gift off a shelf. That is not what gift giving is about. Gifts are suppose to be symbolic gestures of love, appreciation, support, and gratitude. I want the kids to learn how to think about the person they are shopping for and to focus on the meaning of the gift versus the value. Secondly, as it relates to Christmas, I think it is essential that the kids learn that the holiday is about giving, not receiving. This is a really hard one to get across, even for adults!
Teddy and I went to a couple of different stores until we hit the jackpot. I really try hard not to influence the kids with their purchases for their dad. The only time I interfere is when the cost is excessive, like Teddy wanting to buy Todd a $500 telescope last year :) At Sport Mart, Teddy selected a small pocket knife for Todd. "Oohh...Dada is going to love this one. It's tiny. Yep. Good one!" I looked at his gorgeous face and thought to myself Yep, Dada is going to love it!
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| Teddy ready for tutoring! |
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