One day until Christmas Day.
Cailyn came over to play for a few hours last night. The thing is, Nathan has to work at the fire department on Sunday – Christmas Day – and he wanted to be a part of what is looming to be his daughter's first Christmas as an uncontrollably excited almost-three-year-old. So instead of waiting until tomorrow and missing the big event, somehow Santa will make an exception to his usual schedule and make an appearance at their house this morning. I really don't think Cailyn will mind terribly. She matter-of-factly told me yesterday that Santa was coming to her house "On Tuesday." Why not make today Tuesday instead of Saturday and not worry about waiting until Sunday for today to be Christmas Day? I think.
Cailyn was in rare form last night when she wasn't talking about Santa coming to visit. She saw some packages under our tree. I wondered if she would want to unwrap them. No. She was disappointed, though. She said, "I wanted to wrap some presents." How unselfish can you get? So I found her something to wrap – the little angry bird doll I scored in the last white elephant party we went to. And Chris set her up with wrapping paper and scissors and tape. Lots of tape. And when she was done, Chris suggested she put it under the tree. Again, I thought she would balk and tear it open to discover the wonderful gift inside. She did balk, but not to tear it open. She simply wasn't finished with her wrapping job. "It needs a bow, Nani," was her concern. So, of course, Nani found her a bow. And she taped it on. And happily placed it under the tree. Now who do you suppose should get to open that particular unnamed gift?
Later in the evening she was playing in the bedroom with Chris. She came across the purse Chris provided for her to play with when she is here. So she decided to go shopping. In full Mommy mode now, she instructed Chris that she had to stay at home with the door closed while she was gone. That's what caught my attention. Chris started whining about not closing the door and she didn't want to stay at home. I started down the hall, since my curiosity was beyond piqued by this time. Cailyn met me and immediately incorporated me into her world. "We going shopping, DadDad. Come on." Giving me little choice in the matter, she grabbed my hand and we went … shopping. I learned early on in the trip that we were looking for a pillow. A Princess pillow. Apparently she had seen one on an earlier shopping trip when she wasn't the Mommy and it didn't make its way into her shopping cart. That was about to change.
We stopped at several stores – the one by the bookcases near the front door didn't have any. "You have pillows? No? OK." Then another in the kitchen near the cow chair – "You have pillows? Princess ones? No? OK." Finally we made our way into the den. I figured we must have the right place this time. In fact I couldn't understand why we didn't come here first anyway. But I am a guy who doesn't understand the nuances of a female on a shopping trip. Apparently it's not about searching for what you want and getting it and getting out of there. It's about the experience. It's about seeing all the pretty things and talking to the sales clerks. And the evidence seems to indicate that the shopping experience is yet another of those oddities that are hard-wired into a girl's genes. Lots of luck, Nathan.
We did find a pillow in the den, though. She carried it around looking for something that I never did understand. It sounded the same every time, so I know she knew what it was, so I followed dutifully like a good husband. Finally she reached my desk, plopped the pillow onto my chair, and said, "Here it is. How much is that? 50? OK." Obviously the word I was missing had something to do with check out stands. But we were good. All paid for. She announced, "OK, DadDad. Now time to go home. Here, hold that, please." And like a good husband, I took her purse. She turned to head back down the hall toward the bedroom, but as an afterthought she turned back to me. "You put it on your arm like this. See?" Oh, how foolish of me. Of course I see. So I put it across my shoulder as instructed, and we headed for home.
Isaiah 40:21-22 says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in."
Father, it's a lot easier to say, "Come quickly," when we know tomorrow is Christmas Day, when we know it's going to happen. The assurance of the past helps with that. Help me have that same assurance to say "Come quickly, Lord Jesus." Really. Amen.
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