Wii Wii Wii all the way...

Santa is bringing a Wii for Christmas this year.

This weekend, my children went to their father's house to celebrate Christmas with him and his family. They called me yesterday morning to tell me what their father had gotten them. A Wii.

The conversation took place on my cell phone as P-Man and I were out doing errands.

"Hi Mom! Guess what Dad got us for Christmas?!"

"What , honey?"

"A Wii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"A Wii?" (with slightly less enthusiasm now) as I look over at P-Man who mouths the word FUCK. Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

I love Christmas. I was so excited to give them the Wii. We planned ahead, knowing they might be in short supply again this year, and we've had it hidden at P-Man's mother's house since late September or so. Excitement? Not so much now. I will probably hear something like "How come Santa didn't know Dad already got us one?".

Well, because Santa and Dad don't communicate well. Oh, we get along ok - we don't fight. But we don't go out of our way to keep each other informed either. In my defense, I have tried over the years but it's rather like banging my head against a brick wall. Since that gets old after a while, I have stopped. So I am mad at myself for not trying harder, and I am mad at him for not trying at all. Both of the kids also want Nintendo DS games systems. If we had communicated better, one of us could have gotten the Wii and one of us could have gotten the Nintendos.

I was pretty upset and P-Man tried so hard to make me feel better. When we got home he immediately got online ato see if there were any available Nintendos - supposedly there are some in stock at our local Walmart. He wanted to go purchase them right away, but I said no. Can you even imagine? Two Wiis, Nintendo's, AND iPods for each of them? Plus...all the "smaller" gifts and clothes, etc. No way. I wanted to return the Wii and get the Nintendos but he still wants to keep the Wii for all of us here. So we're leaving it as it is. Two Wiis - one at each house.

Now I know that in the whole scheme of things, this is a pretty good problem to have. We are so very fortunate to have the means to provide these types of things for our kids. There are kids who want a Wii and won't get one because there aren't any available. There are kids who won't get anything for Christmas. There are kids who are cold and hungry, right here in our country as I sit and type this in my warm house with my hot coffee on my desk. I know this.

But I'm still a little disappointed and some of the excitement is gone.

Open your presents at Christmastime but be thankful year round for the gifts you receive. ~Lorinda Ruth Lowen