Christmas Shopping, Part 1

I've gotten some shopping done, mostly online.  I have finished one group of gifts, and that was for the pets.  This was important.

The pets (Sandy, Jack and Magic) get a gift on Christmas morning.  This is how it has been since we first got Magic.  After Sandy came along, she got one also, of course.  She caught on pretty quickly after her first Christmas with us.  Jack still doesn't get it, but enjoys the excitement of the day.

Then we started having Christmas Eve at our house once we moved into a single-family home.  My parents come, Chris's parents come and so do my brother and his family.  Sometime Sarah will have a friend or two come.  So gifts are exchanged.

The year we started this new tradition, I didn't even think about Sandy.  She had her gift, of course, but it was in our closet.  This was when we didn't put gifts under the tree until after the girls had gone to bed because they still believed in Santa.  So the girls are getting gifts from grandparents, nieces and nephews from uncles and aunts, and so on.  

Then I notice Sandy.  She is desperately looking around, and I knew she was waiting on a gift.  Oh, god.  I didn't get a picture of her, but this is close enough:



Jack didn't care, but Sandy was absolutely crushed.  I had no idea a dog could actually be disappointed.  She got a treat, but it wasn't the same.

So now I make sure she has a gift to open on Christmas Eve.  Jack does, too, but he doesn't know the difference.  Never again will my little Sandy Girl have a sad Christmas Eve.