There are no young kids in my family (the youngest cousin is 22 so she outgrew dolls and tea sets a few years ago), so I will admit that didn't put up a huge fuss when I learned that I would need to work on Christmas morning this year. It meant I would get to see my work kids (kiddos, kidoodles, babes, youguns, nutcases, crazyones, psychos, their names vary depending on my/their mood) see Santa and open presents.
I helped shop for all 18 of them a few weeks ago, and while it was an exhausting morning running up and down the aisles of Target with lists and gift cards in hand, picking out clothes and toys for the children that I've come to know over the last six months was such a joy. It was especially fun to find the toys for the ones who had been able to make their own lists and ask for specific things and I could picture their faces on Christmas morning when they opened their gifts.
Sure enough, when T. opened his gift bag this morning and found a sweatshirt, he proudly proclaimed that it was a GREEN sweatshirt, just like he'd asked for! Santa had gotten it right! And C. is so excited to have her very own MP3 player to listen to Disney songs on, D. loves the book of maps we picked out for him, J.'s got his own beanbag chair, and P. can bounce on his exercise ball whenever he wants (well, until he pops it). Sure, many of the kids are completely unaware that today is different from any other and that they've got a whole bag of new stuff just for them, but to enjoy a few moments with the ones that do get it, well, that was worth getting up at 6:30 for.
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how sweet!
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