Happy 2009!

So, I know. I'm a little late with my first post of 2009. We actually got invited to a party at our neighbor's house and managed not to be the pitiful parents of toddlers who call it a night at 10PM after watching classic Trek all evening. Instead, we were adults, with other adults, drinking alcoholic beverages, gabbing, and welcoming in the New Year!

I won't make any resolutions this year. I never do. I will simply decide to live 2009 with as much awareness of the little things as possible.

For most of the month of December, a little scraggly present sat under our tree. It was a gift from Bubba and Miss-Miss and was made with all seriousness at their Montessori school. Their teacher instructed us not to open said gift until Christmas morning and, in fact, we waited until Christmas afternoon when the kids were finished with their gifts and naps. As we opened the present, flat and wrapped with too much tape, I thought it would the the usual construction paper/marker/crayon creation typically made by pre-schoolers. That I would smile and emphatically hug them, display it on the fridge, and eventually put it in the Christmas scrapbook for future memories. What I found instead was this:

A beyond-gorgeous silhouette of Bubba and Miss-Miss, made by a local company, kept secret by our three-year-old sweeties, and wrapped with loving care. It is now proudly displayed on my family room wall.

And I cried sweet tears of joy over the simplest of gifts. It was the best gift I received this holiday.

So, what I hope for all of you in this new year is many tears of joy, smiles, laughs, giggles, and snorts.

I'm sure that's something we could all use.