In which we prepare for Christmas

When Sapphire discovered that Grandma and Grandpa Arana were coming to visit us in December she was ecstatic. When she discovered that they were coming at the beginning of December, rather than for Christmas, she was demoralized. After all, in her memory, we always celebrate Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Arana and Uncle Danny. (We missed when she was 2.5, because I was almost 9 months pregnant, and no airline would have let me fly cross country, but she doesn't remember that.) So, in consultation with Grandma and Blaise, it was decided that we would instead celebrate Christmas on Saint Nicolas Day.

Saturday came, and Sapphire went off with Grandma to the Auchan to buy her presents for everyone. Uncle Danny had (wisely) bought his presents ahead of time and put them in his suitcase. There were school pictures from the kids. But that was it. Grandma and I had neglected to do any shopping, and it was late and we were tired. So, much to Sapphire and Ezio's disappointment (Cherry can't read a calendar yet) Christmas was postponed to Wednesday.

Tuesday morning I made a trip to the store and picked up Sapphire's present, then spent an hour wandering fruitlessly around trying to find something that I thought Cherry or Ezio would like. After lunch, I took Cherry and she informed me that she desperately wanted a baby with a stroller. (I picked it up Wednesday morning, before breakfast.) Ezio was harder.

We (the kids and I) met Blaise and Danny and their parents at the Galeries Lafayette in Paris that evening (they had spent the day gallivanting about the city), and once we had looked at the Christmas displays outside we headed inside and on up to the toy department. Ezio spent most of his time lusting after enormous Lego sets (which he knew he wasn't getting), and Cherry and I wandered around hoping to find something that he would like that was in our budget. I found some Meccano (like an Erector Set) and picked up a set for him, after checking with Danny (Blaise had wandered off) that it would be something that would have appealed to a 7 year old boy. (I later learned that it had been one of Max's favorite toys as a child.)

We headed back home, and agreed to finish our preparations Wednesday morning, and open gifts before dinner.