Tearing Up the Driveway

Funny thing happens when you have a second child. You don't manage to get near as many pictures as you did with an only child. On Christmas morning, Husband was busy between the camcorder and webcam with Grandpa and Grandma M at the other end of the broadcast. I was busy overseeing the frenzied wrapping paper ripping and getting increasingly backlogged with toys stuck in their little Fort Knox boxes. What is with those gosh-awful dura-tough twist tie wire things? And why, in the name of all that is good, do they have to use SO MANY of them to package toys these days? SHEESH! At several points Grandpa H, Grandma H, and I were all three simultaneously going at a toy that refused to be extricated. There were random exclamations of, "I need scissors!" "I need a screwdriver!" "How many of these stupid wires are on here?" and lots of mumbling under the breath. Meanwhile, the three-year-old and one-year-old both added their squeals of excitement over what new treasures they just unwrapped and squeals of dismay over not being able to get their little hands around them until the adults could figure out how to get them out of their boxes.

We didn't manage to get many pictures. Here are a couple of Daugher tearing up the driveway with her new mini micro scooter. Last summer she admired the "big kids" on their scooters, and she would say, "Maybe when I get bigger I can have a scooter!" This little scooter is perfect for her size with a wide foot bed and set low to the ground. She's getting pretty good at it despite the annoying rocks left over from the city's attempts to "help" with the three inches of ice that covered our neighborhood at the beginnig of the month. The ice is long gone, but those irritating rocks, I fear, will linger for a good long while. Good thing I gave up rollerblading.

On the third day following Christmas I have finally plowed the house out from under cardboard boxes and wire twist-ties and wrapping paper scraps. Yesterday I began trying to organize and put away the toys. The few spaces in our "great room" that still held items belonging to the adults were demoted to remote corners and boxes as I filled them with toys and books and puzzles, and games. As I've said before, it's a good thing to have a "great room" in order to contain the kids' "great" deal of stuff. As we continue our house hunting, Daughter now says, "We need to get a bigger house so we have room for all the toys!"

It was a great celebration, and we are very blessed. I think of the children in the world who have no idea what it is like to have so many toys that there is not enough space to contain them, and I am overwhelmed with our abundance.