The children exchange names for Christmas. They enjoy scheming and planning for gifts but to make or get a gift for each sibling could be a bit out of reach. So each November we draw names. I love to watch the planning that goes into the gift. Some children have even chosen to purchase or make a gift for each sibling in addition to the name drawn.
This year Eden had Andrew's name. It's the first year that she actually chose what to get for the gift exchange. When the kids are little, the likelihood of just blurting out the recipient's name is too great, and the child has no funds, so I help them. One year I had a child make a gift without knowing who it was for. The night before we exchanged our gifts, I finally clued the child in and the gift was wrapped, leaving little time for a premature reveal.
So Eden took her gift-giving job very seriously. First she made a card with pictures of snowmen, appropriately labeled, "Andrew" and "Maggie." Next she made him a gift. I believe this was also snowman themed. Finally, she decided she wanted to get him a gift card to a restaurant so he could go on a date. We went to Giant and looked at the gift card options. I tried to give a few suggestions, some of Andrew's favorite restaurants. In the end, she decided on Cracker Barrel, being her favorite restaurant, of course.
After Christmas, my mom was teasing Andrew and Eden, suggesting that Eden should have told Andrew that the gift card came with a caveat, that being that he had to include Eden on this date. Andrew declined. Eden likes Maggie a lot so she got excited about this prospect. Somehow Maggie found out and said she'd enjoy that. Andrew, being the smart young man that he is, knew that he was out-numbered 2 females to 1 male and decided to make the best of it.
He properly picked a very excited Eden up at the door and escorted her to the car.
He first asked if her father was home (which he wasn't) but instead promised the young lady's mother that he would have her daughter home by bedtime. He's not stupid; ditch the sister early. He opened the door for her and saw that she was safely in her car seat.
I love this in so many ways. First, I love that my 16 year old son agreed to take his little sister along on his date. Second, I love that he took it a step further, picking her up at the door, talking to her parent, assuring both of us that he'd take care of her and have her home on time. Third, I love it because Eden clearly felt loved by her older brother's attention. And of course I loved that there was a chaperone on the date! Andrew taught her so much in the short amount of time he spent with her this evening. Lessons that she will remember as she gets older and looks for a special someone who will treat her with the same (yet different) respect.
Thank you, Andrew. You did good.
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