I feel like we are woefully unprepared for the kids’ birthday, which is coming up a week from tomorrow. It’s just that it’s Thanksgiving this week and Christmas is coming up and it’s the end of the semester and I’m full of excuses! I’m terrible!

We do have a slew of gift ideas in mind that we’ve been talking about forever, but which ones are for their birthday and which are for Christmas and which are from us and which are from Santa and which ideas can be grudgingly shared with family members for them to execute? Huh? WHICH ONES?

Phew, I think my blood pressure is a little high thinking about it all. I’m just not a natural gift giver. I love to receive gifts, being a selfish human as i obviously am, but I never feel confident in giving them, even to four-year-olds.

Anyway, here are some ideas that may or may not happen, at some point next month, from us, Santa, or relatives:

• An art-cart filled with new supplies. I have an IKEA cart that I’m currently using for books in my bedroom, but wouldn’t they love it if it were filled with all new crayons, markers, pencils, paper, stickers, activity books, and so on?
• An Our Generation doll for E (it’s a Target knock off of American Girl dolls). She has been asking for a new one and spent some time really enjoying playing with a friend’s dolls recently.
• A kid-friendly digital camera for L, who is obsessed with taking pictures.
• New hats, gloves, pajamas, and socks, which they need anyway.
• They both mentioned wanting new shoes, so maybe that as well? They don’t especially need them but that’s okay.
• Some new books — I was thinking of the illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but I think they may not quite be ready. So, something else.
• CW feels like they are ready for new bikes (they can both glide on their balance bikes without putting their feet down; E is especially proficient at this point) but I’m not sure.
• New bike helmets are definitely in order.
• We’ve also been talking about re-doing their room as a “big kid” room with twin beds that can be stacked into bunk beds in the future. They are 100% Danger Babies and not to be trusted with bunks yet, but the toddler beds are getting small at this point so an upgrade is needed. In addition, they could use a book shelf and some stuffie storage and maybe some updated wall art.

Tomorrow is the last day of preschool this week, so CW and I have a date planned to go out to lunch and then plan and shop for some of this stuff. We shall see. We also need to figure out a time for a low-key party with a few of their friends if there is ever a window of time available without any other social events any time in the next couple of weeks, which is a lot to ask, frankly.

At any rate, if you have any thoughts or suggestions on any of the above, leave a comment or @ me!