Proud moment

Growing up Mama C always picked out wrapping paper that coordinated for each of us.  I rarely remember there being a present under the tree that didn't match the others.  So, naturally that is something Syd and I have felt was a necessary part of Christmas.  Last year was the first Christmas Aaron and I were together and we had blue snowflake paper and silver glitter paper (huge mistake! tape does not hold it together well!)  I wanted something a little prettier this year.

Since we all know Hobby Lobby puts out their Christmas stuff around about Easter, I have been browsing the gift wrap section for months now.  As much as I loved all the pretty Chevron paper I decided on leopard print paper with black tulle bows.  Mind you, I have never made a bow in my life.  I am more of a "pay someone to do it" type of girl. That applies to all aspects of my life.  Here is the finished product and I love it:

Even though Little J asked me not to wrap her presents and put them under the tree so she wouldn't be tempted (yes, I know I live with a 30 year old trapped in a 7 year old's body) her dad and I just couldn't look at a decorated tree with no presents under it any longer. She was at her mom's on Monday and Tuesday when we finished the wrapping so last night a very funny but proud moment took place for us. 

Little J is a child who takes everything in and doesn't forget a single thing she hears or that you tell her.  Even when you think she isn't listening, except when you tell her to clean her room or brush her teeth of course.  Some of our best conversations take place in the car or at 2am when she can't sleep.  We were in the car a few weeks ago and she brought up Adam and Eve, only she really wasn't sure what their names were for sure and she had never heard the story (that she could remember) of Adam and Eve.  So, I explained it the best way I possibly could.  I had forgotten about this conversation until last night when she discovered the tree was full of presents just for her. 

She proceeded to explain to me that my wrapping her presents and putting them under the tree made her feel like Adam and Eve and our Christmas Tree is the Tree of Life.  All those beautful presents are under that tree but she isn't allowed to touch them. 

For a few seconds I thought "maybe I don't suck at this whole parenting thing."  Then she called Aaron's mom to thank her for an early Christmas gift and blurted out that she was sleeping on the couch tonight because her sheets were in the washer and she was up past her bedtime because we were keeping her awake, I was reminded again that you win some and you lose some. 

 ***For the record, her sheets were in the dryer and she did in fact sleep in her own actual bed and she was only up 30 minutes past her bedtime.***