So now that we've essentially decided that we're taking the Christmas presents down to West Virginia for the boys to open, my shopping has taken on new and exciting challenges: everything must be packable. So far, we had only bought two gifts for Sam and one for Gabe, so at least I hadn't shot myself in the foot before even beginning, although one of Sam's presents is somewhat large and may well take up most of the suitcase by itself.

Sam's Christmas list:

• the Playmobil Horse and Pony Farm (this is the box that's a bit large)
• the first season of "Little House" (He already opened season 2, from my parents)
• the Playmobil Petting Zoo, from Rita
• the VTech V-Smile, from Eric's brother
• From my parents, already opened and waiting back in WV, the GeoTrax Conductor's Crossing
• Various and sundry games, books, and other things that I'm forgetting right now, also from my parents

Gabe's Christmas list is a little more spartan right now, lacking our main gift to him:

• The big gift from my parents, and the one that's most hotly contested between the boys: a Thomas ride-on toy
• the Chicco Talking Farm
• the a pull-toy caterpillar, also from my parents
a "baby Leappad" (I have to assume she meant this) from Rita
• Various other small items from my parents
• Whatever "big gift" we get him, which was originally going to e a toddler bed, but now might just be a twin bed; who knows?

I still need to get stocking items, including their "Santa gifts" (didn't you know? He has to conserve room on the sled!), and I got them each a book that they'll find in their beds on Christmas morning (a new tradition, and one that will hopefully buy us time on Christmas mornings before we have to rush to the tree). I might buy one or two other items, but I'm thinking this will be plenty to satisfy them and keep them busy.

I'm working so hard to show Sam that Christmas is not about "gimme, gimme, gimme!" I think I mentioned yesterday that we selected a couple of angels off our church's prisoner gift tree; I showed the cards to Sam yesterday and explained to him that there were some children who wouldn't even get to have their mothers or fathers with them for the holidays, let alone piles of presents. Hearing that, he was much more concerned about who was taking care of them than about their gifts, but I assured him that they would have a place to live, and that we could help make them a little happier by getting them the presents that their parents would have gotten them if they could. Sam carefully selected a pair of pants for the little girl and a remote-controlled truck for the boy (each child will get one clothing item and one toy, as the way the program works).

He also helped select Hailey's presents: a little veterinarian playhouse and some sort of animatronic dog toy that responds in different ways depending on how you touch it, which also comes with veterinary tools. She love to play "animal rescue" with Sam when they're together, so I think these toys reminded him of her. Of course, she already has all the toys in the world, so I hope these aren't in her collection at present.

And, of course, Sam still has it in mind to go get gifts for the rest of the people in his life: me, Daddy, Gabe, and his grandparents. I may just give him a few dollars and turn him loose in the dollar store to see what he does. I think he already might have something in mind for Eric, though, so that may not work for the whole process. We'll have to see!

I'm fairly certain Gabe is teething again. Boy, what timing, eh? His nose is runny, he's chewing his finger, and he woke up over and over last night, crying and wanting to nurse and rub my stomach. Nurse, nurse; rub, rub. I can sleep through one, but not both. If I stopped either, though, however gently I tried, he would begin thrashing and wailing. This had better not still be happening by Friday. (If I say that sternly enough, will the universe listen?)