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Saturday dawns bright and clear.  Which is excellent.  We have much to accomplish today.  Only eighteen days left until Christmas.  And our Christmas to-do list still has several items on it.  The first of which is…shopping! 

We were never able to finish our toy shopping last weekend.  Which disappointed both me and the tiny twins.  We missed out on the fifty percent off sale.  But it seems that the proprietor of the store didn’t wish to punish us, for an hour after rising, I receive an email that all the toys I needed to buy are once again half-off.  But only today.  How convenient!

Expecting to find my two cutie pies eating cereal, I make a beeline for the kitchen.  It’s not supposed to snow today, but I’m not taking any chances.  We are going shopping bright and early.

I find Alastair munching away on Lucky Charms, but Abs is still sound asleep.  I head to his room to rouse him.  Fifteen minutes later, the three of us head to the store with Emmie in tow.  She and Noel came home with us after the game last night.  A game which we won.  Do to Lyric’s last-second basket.  Nana was swooning.  Okay, not really.  But she was cheering pretty loudly.

Everett opts to stay at home with his daddy and Noel to play video games.  Kookie’s still sleeping.  So is Janna.

Apparently, only the twins will experience day two of our shopping adventure with me.  And, Emmie, of course.  Perhaps I should have bought her a journal too.  She’s practically my daughter.  Hopefully, one day she will be.

After finding all the bargains our hearts could hope for and filling two shopping carts with them, I decide to take the three of them out for a treat.  A little thank you for helping me.  We swing into Panera.  Abner chooses a cinnamon roll, Alastair picks out a cinnamon crunch bagel, and Emmie goes for a chocolate chip cookie.  I decide to fast sugar this morning.  But I rethink such a resolve a few moments later when Abs offers me a bite of his cinnamon roll and Alastair pulls off a chunk of his bagel and hands it to me.  Surrounded by so much love, how can I resist such sweetness?

I finally cave in to the pressure and order myself a pumpkin crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese.  As I sit across from two very happy, little boys while enjoying my own treat, I wonder…Does life get any better than this?

As I glance at Emmie, I have a sudden vision of the future.  I see Kookie seated on the other side of her, and where my own twins are currently sitting, I see two smaller children dangling their feet a few inches above the floor.  A dark-haired, little boy and a tiny, honey-haired girl with a grin just like Kookie’s.  Perhaps being a grandma will trump even motherhood. 

As I look back at my sweet, little boys, I wonder if that’s even possible.  Maybe it will simply be a tie.  How could I possibly choose between my children and my grandchildren?  They will all be delightful.

As we finish enjoying our treats, I suddenly remember our Twelve Days of Christmas gift for our next-door neighbor.  “Guys, we still need to buy Mary’s presents.  But I think we should head home first, collect your siblings, and then all go shopping together.”

Alastair and Abner look less than enthused.

“Are you tired of shopping?” I ask.

Two dark heads nod in unison.

I smile at them.  “All right.  I’ll take you home.  Since you helped me pick out the toys for the kids, I’ll give you a pass on shopping for an adult.  Maybe Nana and Kookie will want to help me.”

“I will,” Emmie offers sweetly.

“Of course, you’re invited too!” I respond immediately.  “I just assumed you would come.”  Especially if Kookie comes.  We’re both thinking it, but neither of us says it. 

We arrive home a few minutes later, and the great unloading of the presents begins.  Fairly soon, every able-bodied youth in my house is dragging toys down to the family room for sorting later.  Everett and Noel return to playing the Nintendo; Alastair and Abner join them.  I inform my husband that I’m taking the older kids Christmas shopping.  Then I head off to find those kids.

Kookie is still in bed when I open his door and peek inside his room. 

“Hey, sleepyhead,” I call.  “You’re not getting taller again, are you?”

He cracks one dark eye open.  It slams shut immediately.  He grunts. 

“I’m taking the girls shopping for our Twelve Days of Christmas gifts.  Do you want to come with us?”

Another grunt.

“I think Emmie was hoping you would,” I offer.

Two eyes pop open this time.  “She was?”

“Well, when I said I was bringing you along, she offered to come too.”  A pause.  “Of course, that could just be Emmie being sweet and helpful.  Like always.” 

But as I look at him, we both recognize that she would enjoy his company.

He pushes himself into a sitting position.  “Can I have a half hour to get ready?”

“Yes.  I need some tea first anyway.” 

I end up giving Kookie forty-five minutes to shower, dress, and forage for food.  I can tell he’s a little disappointed that I didn’t make breakfast today.  But I solace him with a different offer.

“If you’re hungry when we finish shopping, I’ll take you all to lunch.  How does that sound?”

“Delicious,” he grins.

I laugh. 

My eldest son is so adorable.