A Childs Christmas

Is there anything more precious than a child at Christmas?
This was the first Christmas that K really understood what was going on and she did not disappoint. She was so fun decorating the tree. She broke several ornaments and her reaction was so very cute. Then grandpa broke one and her reaction was priceless.
She was asking everyday for weeks if it was Christmas yet. Finally, on Christmas Eve we were writing a letter to Santa and leaving some cookies and milk for him and carrots and sugar for the reindeer. She left about 8 cookies for Santa to eat. I guess she wanted to make sure he didn't go away hungry. I read the letter to her and asked if there was anything else we should say in it. She looked at me and said "Merry Christmas" with the cutest little impish grin. Then she said "Love mommy daddy K and J......... and a dog named molly". so that is what we wrote.
I rounded the corner Christmas morning just as she was coming out of her room. She had this look of curiosity on her face as if she wasn't sure whether it was me or Santa that she would encounter. She asked me if Santa had come. She had the most amazing twinkle in her eye as she rounded the corner to see all the presents under the tree. It reminded me of the pure excitement I used to feel as a child on Christmas morning. I could feel it emanating from her.
I am very thankful for the opportunity to see Christmas once more through the eyes of a child. What a gift from a beautiful little girl. You don't even know what gifts you and J give me daily.
Thank you for a terrific Christmas.
I Love you and J and Mommy so much.

Perspective

Life is so funny. We work all of our adult lives towards our careers. It starts in college. Becoming important, working towards being respected in our fields. We move on to work and start slowly, working small deals and forging ahead. We gradually move up to larger ones and project leaders, senior management and so on. Sometimes we get to feeling like we are oh so important and indispensable. Sometimes that our jobs are the most important in our families. It's hard not to feel that way when we are successful and making money for our companies etc.
Then we have babies.
No matter how important I feel at work or how many successes I find there or how much money is made by myself or the company, I come home to realize what is truly important.
I walk in the door and am reminded what is the really important work of my life. I must know the names of all my daughters stuffed animals. Lucy (pronounced Mucy), Emily, Charlie and Lola, Summer, Zachary, Dee Dee, Tigger, Elmo, Poo, Sally etc. Believe me when I say there are a lot of them. I must know why my son is crying or whining as he doesn't yet talk, all the while cooking supper and making sure K is not destroying anything. Then I look at N and realize that she has all that and a half a dozen other things going on at once and I realize I am truly outclassed. My wife stays home mostly with the kids except for a couple of days a week. She also holds down a job that ends up being about three quarters time even though we intended for it to be half. Somehow she manages to be a superb mother who is doing the lions share of the work of raising our kids. I do the best I can and feel as though I am definitely hands on with them but I don't kid myself about who has the instincts and training to make sure we are raising two independent thinking, polite,kind and respectful kids.
Humbling.