Christmas

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Dear Jack: It Finally Felt Like Christmas

14 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

For the past several weeks, I have had this habit of saying out loud, “I feel like this is the first time since being a parent that I am no longer the Grinch at Christmas. This is the year my heart finally grew three times larger.”

No need to pack the car full of all the Christmas gifts and drive three hours, only to not be able to sleep in our own house.

As for you though, that was apparently a big part of the feeling of Christmas for you. That was the only version of Christmas you ever knew: Going to Nonna and Papa’s house.

So for our first Christmas as a family here in Alabama, after we opened gifts here as a family of four at our own house, we drove up to Nonna and Papa’s house to spend the rest of the day with the rest of the family.

At the end of the day, as we were driving back home, you finally confirmed: “Now, it finally felt like Christmas.”

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Christmas Cookies

14 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack,

I had no expectations of you joining Mommy and your sister in making Christmas cookies this year. I figured that surely you had outgrown such an activity at this point.

But since our family’s move to Alabama this year, one of the things I officially learned about you is that traditions play an extremely important role in your life.

So when it was time to start making Christmas cookies, you definitely showed up to participate.

Granted, you put your personal spin on the tradition by veering away from using the standard cookie cutters we had and instead customizing the shapes yourself.

Some of them were even 3-D.

They may look different from the other cookies, but I know for a fact you didn’t change the recipe of your cookies.

So at least all the cookies taste the same.

All I care about is that you had fun participating in a family tradition. Though actually, my only contribution was taking pictures of the event!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Christmas Crafts on Veterans Day

8 years, 6 months.

Dear Holly,

I appreciate that you are at the age, as well as the maturity level, that you can be off a day from school while Mommy and I work from home, and you can be happy without depending on watching a screen all day.

Monday was Veterans Day so you were at home with us. When I would make my way by the kitchen, it seemed that’s where you spent a good amount of your time; making Christmas crafts.

I think it is safe to say that creativity and curiosity are highly encouraged in our household.

Thank you for not being a screen-watching zombie all day!

I love to see you being crafty.

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Your New Phone Cover

13 years, 2 months.

Dear Jack,

Exactly a month ago on Christmas Day, I was able to talk you into not going through the annoying/dramatic/stressful ordeal of returning your “not pink” cell phone through the mail and exchanging it for the “off white” one we actually ordered for you.

Now that I have completed writing my book (to be published and released later this year), I can finally appreciate and understand that I am the epitome of an Enneagram 9 Wing 8:

I am a natural negotiator.

And using my negotiation skills on Christmas Day, my “compromise” in the exchange was to agree to buy you whichever cell phone cover you wanted.

By Christmas afternoon, you had made peace with your “not pink” phone, on your own.

But by that point, we had already ordered you the fuzzy green monster of a cell phone cover you wanted.

So… double win?

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: You Finally Got Naty… and She Got You a Gift Too?

7 years, 8 months.

Dear Holly,

After months of anticipation, you finally received Naty for Christmas.

And I am doing everything in my power to freeze time right now.

This is the age of dolls being a big deal to you. This is the time in your life when you speak about your dolls as if they are actually alive; as if they are actually little girls your age that play with you.

You proactively got Naty a Christmas gift, knowing that you would get her for Christmas: another outfit.

To your surprise, Naty got you a Christmas gift as well! The tag clearly read, “To: Holly, From: Naty”.

You have yet to officially tell me how that worked out. Even as I typed this, I asked you once again, “Holly, how did Naty get you a Christmas gift?”

Without showing much concern at all, you simply replied, “Daddy, I don’t know.”

I suppose you didn’t remember telling me a month ago that you wanted a harmonica, after seeing kids play one on your favorite YouTube channel… which is just other kids playing with toys.

Needless to say, Naty’s gift to you was a harmonica!

Love,

Daddy