Wornoutwoman

When our kids are little, it's all about getting them to sleep as every sound 'could' be Santa or his reindeer on the roof. It's pleading for a bit of shut-eye to get those last-minute gifts wrapped - the ones that were not under the tree the night before.  Each year, that Christmas magic wanes a bit as kids mature. You enter certain phases where they've outgrown toys and you struggle with what to get for them. You ask for lists, but half the time relatives don't understand what your kid has even listed. It's almost more work explaining what an Ocarina of Time is and why it's important than it is to just order it yourself and slap a "from Nana" label on it. The Christmas you never see coming is the one right before they leave home. The one where it's the last year before college and they've matured into this adult - this person who you always knew they'd be but just couldn't fathom it. It hit me today. With this being my kid...