Playing Santa

My husband spoiled me for my birthday this year.  We drove to my mom’s house to let her watch Kinley for our night out.  We planned to do dinner at a hibachi restaurant and then went to a comedy club.  It was the first time for both of us.  We really didn’t know what to expect.  It sure didn’t disappoint!  We had so much fun and laughed so hard.  It is something that we will most definitely do again.  He surprised me by asking my parents to keep Kinley overnight so that we could get a hotel room.  I was panicked at first.  I haven’t ever left her overnight.  Well, aside from my gall bladder surgery when she was a month old—but that doesn’t count.  Turns out though, it was awesome.  We slept until 8!

Between dinner and the show, we stopped at Toys R Us (how convenient that it was close!) to look at some birthday and Christmas gifts for Kinley.  I really wish that her birthday wasn’t so close to the holiday.  I so don’t want her to lose her special day to the holiday festivities.  But because they are so close, we decided we would just buy gifts and then later decide what would go in birthday wrapping paper or Christmas paper from Santa.

I always said that she would learn to appreciate her gifts and not expect more than her share.  I still stand by that idea.  I try to remind myself of that as I cruise the toy aisles and find so many things that I want her to have.  It’s hard to stop myself.  So far, we have purchased ten gifts to distribute between birthday and Christmas.  I honestly think that we are done.  Aside from some small things, I think she’s complete.

My goal is to teach her that Santa only has room for three presents for each child in his sleigh.  The others will come from us.  But then I know that other children will blow that for us when they come bragging that Santa got them twenty things.  You know?  I just don’t want her to be a greedy and unappreciative child that screams, “is that all?!”

This year we’ll also be starting our tradition of giving.  We’ll have Kinley choose an angel from the Salvation Army tree to buy a gift for a less fortunate child.  Most of all, I want her to have a big heart and want to give rather than receive.  As sensitive as she is toward other children already, I can tell that this won’t be a big feat for us.  She’s so tenderhearted.  When she sees another child crying, she runs to them asking if they are sad and gives them a big hug.  I am so proud of her!