Day 71: Forever Family: Another Early Christmas Gift

A few weeks ago, you told me that we need to buy a special Christmas ornament this year. “What? Why?” I said. “It’s a Christmas tradition,” you said. “You’re crazy! Stop making up traditions to get me to spend money,” I replied.  Though I was half joking, I actually have no recollection of this tradition. This is probably due to my selective “money memory” (i.e., I remember to do things that save me money and forget to do things that cost me money).

I eventually realized that buying our family a special ornament for Christmas would mean a lot to you, whether or not doing so was part of a deeply cherished tradition. So, I got you this from Hallmark last night:

When I came home, I wrote out a note for you that said, “May we be a forever family held together with love” (how creative!) and I hung the ornament and the note on our tree. I wanted to keep it a secret so you could discover it on your own. But the entire time I prepared your surprise, our oldest daughter followed me around, whispering to me about your present and telling you not to look our way. No matter how many times I shushed her, she wouldn’t stop. From the kitchen you asked, “What’s the surprise, honey?” I burst into the kitchen and said, “It’s the baby! Surprise!” as I held our newborn up to you. “Oh, wow! What a great surprise,” you started to say. But before you could finish our oldest came around the corner with the note and ornament in her hands and said, “Look what dad got you!” Oh, well. You try to raise kids to be sneaky, but you just never know if it’s gonna take.

Since you found out about the ornament, you’ve told me numerous times that it is one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten you. Fancy that. It seems we need to keep this “tradition” going.

On day 67, I promised to clean the living room for a week. I took my commitment to mean that I’d clean it from 12/5 – 12/11. Well, yesterday was the first day of the entire week that I cleaned it. Before doing so, however, I thought I should apologize for not cleaning it on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. So I came to you and said, “Do you like how I promised to clean the living room this week but haven’t done it yet?” You replied, “Oh, no, no, no! You didn’t say that you’d clean the living room for ‘the week’ but ‘a week.’ Your week starts whenever you do.” Between you and our oldest, I can’t get away with much.

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