Present returns?!

Man, is it DUMPING snow outside today! It has been snowing nonstop since about 7:00 this morning, and being up here in the benches, I think we are seeing more than our share!! It's one of those days that I am feeling very grateful that I have nothing urgent to do and can just stay inside, warm by the fire, in my sweats, playing with my girl...oh yeah, and praying that Chris gets home through Sardine canyon at some point -- YIKES!

Anyway, I had to laugh this morning as I was watching Kaiya. She is such a good self-entertainer. I mean, she definitely likes to have us in the same room with her while she plays, but she is so good at occupying herself right now. She will just sit there for hours, talking nonstop in her own language, reading books, banging toys together, or whatever else she can find to do. I am grateful for her creativity and her imagination that keeps her so busy and I love to watch the things that she comes up with to do. Today, for about a half hour, she had these two plastic balls and she would first throw one, then throw the other one, and then run over to pick them up. Sometimes they would bounce under the table, or roll away fast, and that seemed to make the game even more fun for her. She was giggling and completely lost in her own little world of ball throwing! And the thought occurred to me, maybe it's time to go return all those Christmas gifts I bought for her! Isn't it funny? I think, especially at this age for kids, Christmas is so much more about what the PARENTS think will be fun for their kids, when in reality, Kaiya would probably be perfectly content with a shoe box and a tennis ball! We envision her ripping into the toys we have wrapped up so neatly, squeals of delight, and eyes full of wonder. And we may get some of that (at least more than we did last Christmas when she was just 4 months old). But in reality, Kaiya is just happy with her imagination. And that is something I am truly grateful right now in this phase of her life because I know it won't always be that way. Ok, so I probably won't be returning any of her toys, because let's face it, I still have that hope that she will LOVE everything, but I really could do it if I wanted to, and she would be just as happy. Wouldn't life be so great if we could always stay so simple and content in our imaginations?!

**Just a note to add, Kaiya woke up from her nap awhile ago and now she has found those same plastic balls and has been playing with them in the laundry basket for quite awhile. She puts them in, then tips the basket over, then back in and tipping over again. She is also pushing the basket all around the floor and crawling in and out of it. Why don't I have my camera! Funny girl!