The Changing of Christmas

Christmas is all about the kids, right? So it's cool when you have kids, and you get that age-old Santa torch passed to you.

That first year, everyone goes all out. Santa, Mom & Dad, both sets of grandparents, two great-grandparents, 2 aunts, cousins, and more all present the child with MILLIONS of gifts. Never mind that the 6 month old child is just as happy gnawing on that pretty red bow for, oh, 3 hours. It's HER FIRST CHRISTMAS. She's THE FIRST GRANDCHILD.

Fast forward 12 months. This time, everyone figures she's old enough now to get it. So Santa, Mom & Dad, both sets of grandparents, two great-grandparents, 2 aunts, cousins, and more all present the child with MILLIONS of gifts. This time, she is actually interested in the actual toy. However, that's where it ends. She opens one gift, and then - for the love of Pete - actually wants to just play with THAT ONE TOY. For hours. This leaves about 30 relatives anxiously awaiting thier turn to give her their pile of presents. At the toddler's pace, this will take approximately 18 years. Try to give her a new present - just go ahead. She doesn't want it, and she will cry if you take away the ONE TOY.

By the time she's on her third Christmas, everyone pretty much accepts the situation, and it takes her about 2 weeks to get through all the gifts.

Fast forward again about 6 years. Now THE FIRST GRANDCHILD has a younger brother. Brother learned much faster that after THE ONE TOY there is another. And another. And another. So this year, the two children ripped through their MILLIONS of gifts in approximately 25 minutes. And then want to know what's next.

Granted, some of the things they unwrapped, but still haven't opened to play with. The point is that in the beginning, you wait with baited breath FOREVER for the child to open the gifts. You don't really appreciate how wonderful that is until years later when $3000 worth of Christmas is decimated in a half an hour.

Santa still comes each year. There are cookies and milk. There are reindeer feedings. But sometimes I still wish I could see the endless fascination and joy my kids found once upon a time in THAT ONE TOY.