Got gifts?

“Now, he's wrapped around her finger

She's the center of his whole world

And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful,

wonderful, perfect

All American girl.”

How come when it comes to deciding on that special gift for someone you can’t figure out what to buy? In our household it either borders on the ridiculous or the “I don’t know” from the person who is next in line when it comes to birthdays. Within a 30-something day period, we will go through this three times. (In June, it’s 3 birthdays within 23 days---so it can be even more difficult.)

This year, when we have asked our daughter Audrey the question, she provides us with suggestions that made us want to say, “No, what do you seriously want?” Her suggestions, she is about to turn 9 years old, have been a shirt to a picture of herself for her wall. (The picture was $10--the shirt not much more.) On the one hand I am proud that she is not asking for an iPhone (yet) and on the other I think, “What is she thinking, there has to be something she really wants?” So far, and her birthday is Monday, we are coming up empty.

It had looked like she might be getting a digital camera. My response, “She has one.” So we are back to square one. Audrey is really a nice girl; I know I have mentioned it before in “Snap.Shot.” but she does follow the rules (at least at school) and for someone who is on the lower end of the pecking order, in a family as large as ours, she seems to get that you can’t always get what you want. But, she does deserve a nice gift---we just don’t know what to get her.

I know this will end one day---we have many examples in our home to demonstrate it--- and I am thinking on Monday she will probably get clothes. She seems very happy when we go buy them, and well, it seems like she has grown out of Barbie dolls, DVD’s and the utterly ridiculous "silly band" rubberbands. (I am really thankful that fad ended.)

So once we are done with Audrey, then it gets really tough; it’s Susan’s birthday and after clothes, antiques, and other things she enjoys, I will have to figure this one out and it's going to be tough. Great, I have one week after Audrey’s birthday to get it done.

Whereas I know giving something trivial like a gift card, money, or spa day is too easy---for some crazy reason, I am stressing over it. What’s wrong with me?? It's the American way to now give!

The photo above is one constant in our home; for every birthday we turn down the lights, take out a camera, and light up the cake. The illumination is my favorite part---you can’t miss an expression, they look down at the cake, and you for an instant have no idea whether they loved or hated their gift.

Thanks for stopping by.