Merry Christmas!!

Several times this year, my wife and I asked our daughter what she wanted for Christmas. "Nothing." she would reply, "Just a nice Christmas with decorations, music, and the party" (we host Christmas Eve at our house every year). For the past couple of months there have been no hints, no "I want", no "I need", no nothing. Even when going to Target, Jamie would opt for the books and music department to the toy area. While there's nothing wrong with that, it makes for interesting shopping. Especially for Santa at Christmas.

Jamie, almost 9, still believes in Santa. Most of her friends don't. I suspect this will be the last year for Jamie. Which makes me a little sad. As much as I love watching my daughter grow, it's also sad to put behind me those things that truly define the innocence childhood.

This year, though, Jamie observed that while it's nice her name is put on gifts for say, my wife from Jamie, she really didn't take a part in getting the gift. I was rather floored by this. There wasn't much I could say other than to promise to make her a part of the process next time. Something tells me that as the years go by I'll have a valuable resource in my daughter as it pertains to shopping for my wife. I'm no slouch, but a man buying for a woman is different than a woman buying for a woman. My wife has all the see through low cut tops she can use . . . for a while.

Anyway, once again, my daughter has reminded me about the importance of being a good parent, the importance of family, and of the importance of doing, giving, and sharing with the other people in your life. She's sick today with a fever, and I'm ready to do anything she wants to help her feel better. I couldn't be more proud of her.

BTW, Santa bought Jamie an iPod Nano for Christmas. It came loaded with several of her favorite artists and several new movies. It was a huge surprise. Perfect.

Thanks Santa. Merry Christmas everyone!