Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  It's Christmas Eve (well, I guess it's officially Christmas day as I'm writing this) and the girls have just gone to bed.  I will be playing Santa in a few minutes, I'm just waiting for them to doze off.  Yes, I know they are a little too old for the Santa thing, but I just can't seem to get out of the habit.  Every year, the tree sits with nothing under it for the girls and then on Christmas morning things appear!  It was Santa:)  Eric thinks it's crazy of me, but I think it's my way of keeping the Christmas spirit alive in a house full of practically grown-up girls.

I love Christmas, I love shopping for my family, I go broke every year and swear I won't do it again the next year.  I can't help myself. I just happen to love giving gifts.  I love seeing the girls excited every year and I love to see Eric completely surprised that Santa didn't forget about him either.

Usually there are long Christmas lists on our refrigerator for each girl, starting in October. They walk by several times a week and just add stuff to the list.  If I could, I would give them everything on their lists, but Eric reigns me in each year as does my banking account.

This year there are no Christmas lists! I keep hinting to them, that there are no lists this year.  I am a little surprised by this.  I can't figure it out.  Eric says it's because we have done our job...our girls are grateful for all that they have received throughout the year and have chosen to be humble at Christmas time this year.  What?  My rotten girls?  Who are these children?

This has been a great year for both girls.  They do have many things to be grateful for.  Gabrielle participated in her school's Spanish exchange program in October and traveled to Spain for 2 weeks.  Sinobia will leave the day after Christmas to travel to Rome with her art teacher for 10 days.  These trips were not financially easy, but we felt as if it was a gift for our girls to have the opportunity to travel abroad as we never have.  I guess they understood the gift that these trips were...therefore, no Christmas lists, no asking for "stuff" that they don't need, no gimmes and materialism this year.

I feel proud of the fact that they "get it".  I have always wondered if they understood many of the sacrifices that Eric and I make for them to have the life that they live.  I think many parents wonder the same thing, "Do they understand how much I love them and how much I do for them?"

I did do some shopping.  I made my own mental list in my head for each one of them.

We will all wake up together, as a family, healthy, those are the first gifts we will all receive.  They will get a few goodies.  I will too....in my mind, the greatest gift you can give your parent in to acknowledge that you are grateful for what you have, what they have given you and the life that they have worked hard to give you.  No list necessary for me.  My gifts are tucked in for the night, humble sleepers, waiting for Momma Santa.

Merry Christmas!

Tracy, Eric, Gabrielle and Sinobia