This is the first year that Grace really understands the frivolous ideas of Santa, naughty and nice, and reindeer, so seeing these timeless concepts through brand-new eyes is beautiful and bizarre, almost like running a beloved film in reverse.
She literally made a list to share with Santa, and she didn't sleep through meeting him or cry like some kids do; rather, she settled onto the jolly man's lap and thrust her list in his hands.
She made sure he read each item, took back her list (it is hers, after all!), and hopped off his lap, absolutely certain that she's covered her bases for optimal gift delivery.
From there, she begged to wrap gifts. This was particularly strange because most of the gifts are for her baby cousin, and it took some work over the last few weeks to convince her he deserves them. (But be real...who could deny this cutie gifts?!)
Not only did she help wrap and then stack the gifts into a neat pile; she even selected the puppy-print paper, one of her favorites.
After gift-wrapping (which, yes, we did with the Christmas music station on!), I figured we'd go all-in on the holiday theme and reveal my big weekend surprise to Gracie: a gingerbread village! For a little girl who loves cooking, crafting, and candy, this was the epitome of seasonal joy...though she did like the bubble wrap quite a bit, too...
And even though I didn't expect him to join us, when she asked her daddy to help, well, he couldn't refuse.
And all of that lead to an ideal flash in time, a warm and cozy weekend snapshot in the midst of Christmas chaos.
So...am I stressed about the holidays? Yep. Will I be glad when they've passed? You bet. Would I trade any of these moments with my family for an easier season? Not a chance.
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