A little surprised after we take our showers and dress to find Mom, Helen and Alyssa all dressed and ready to head out to start Christmas shopping. Helen seeing me comes and gives me a hug. Giggling she says, “JJ you got your wish this year, there are no limits on how much you can spend.”
Kathryn giggles, “Oh no, you released him, now I’ll never get to shop he will buy every store completely out.”
The three giggle and Mom says, “Do like Sam does, make the present something you want the person to have. It really doesn’t matter if it cost fifty dollars or fifty thousand. We’ve agreed that it’s the thought that counts.”
Mom’s comment made me think. Beforehand I would try to spend right up to the limit on everyone. Even if I knew they wanted something else sometimes I wouldn’t get that so I could buy something that was expensive to max the limit. This year with no limitations I decided Mom is right I should definitely try to get what each of my family want. If I don’t buy it for them for them will make sure one of the family members do.
Sam Kathryn and I get into our SUV, the one Kathryn bought me for my birthday, I asked Kathryn where to and she gives a store near our favorite mall. Mom knocks on my window before I leave, “Oh by the way JJ you only get to buy one gift for each family member. Don’t spend a million bucks on everybody that’s not what we want anyway.”
I know what Dad is buying, and Helen but I don’t have a clue what Mom is getting for Sam or Kathryn. I guess I can ask, or work something out later right now Kathryn is anxious to start. I blow Mom a kiss after she steps back and I begin to move. I’m not even to town yet and both Kathryn and Sam are sound asleep.
Glancing at them at a stoplight I think how lucky I am. Sam is an absolute joy for Kathryn and me, to us her antics are cute. She’s very goodhearted and loves to help others. The light turns and I go back to concentrating on driving. We make it to the mall area and I find the store they want to start with, it’s a half hour before supposed to open and a large number of people are still waiting outside. After finding a parking space I shut off the SUV, Sam awakes immediately, but I have to wake Kathryn. Gently shaking her I say, “We’re here sweetheart.”
That starts our shopping day, after looking at several places and a lot of things I’m still not certain of what to get for Sam. Going through a warehouse store they have a garden shed and Sam goes in looking around. I can almost see the wheels in her mind working as she is thinking if she could change this or that it would make it decent play house. That’s when the idea hits me, I’ll have Daniel draw up plans for a play house, I even have a good place for it a little behind my house and near the bridge is an area that is almost flat and would need very little work to set either a concrete pad or posts to hold up the house.
We could even put a picket fence around it that way keep the children away from the river as Sam and her sisters played. The real trick would be how to make it a surprise for Sam. Fortunately her bedroom window looks the other direction, only one window in our room that’s over my desk even faces that direction.
Putting it in place machinery would create a lot of noise and easily draw Sam’s attention. If I had it placed when Sam was out of the house. How would we keep it hidden for days? But if anyone was having problems finding what to buy Sam, they can buy items for the house, like a new tea set, a child size chair or something on that order.
The idea hits me. We have the perfect time for the delivery, Christmas Eve during Kara’s wedding. I’m certain I could not be there. I’m thinking about whom I could get to oversee a job like that. When Jamie comes to mind, I know he could use some extra money and he’s an honest man.
Now that I have the what and the when, that leaves a very big how. We could build it anywhere and bring it on a flatbed trailer. Set up on a previous formed slab like they do module homes, the electrical and plumbing would be the only thing needed connected that night. If it’s unlit and in the dark, or even we use a smoke machine to hide it may be Sam would not notice until Christmas morning.
I guess I’m a little distracted thinking about this because Kathryn is trying to get my attention. There is a tea set that can serve eight. It’s perfect for Sam considering how many kids are going to be around shortly. There’s a reason Joan added the extra bedrooms, MC have two extra too in hope she has kids. The way Sam is she’s going to love spending time with her little sisters, even if she maybe just a little older than they are just to play with them.
Kathryn takes Sam to the bathroom, and I pick up one of the tea sets and quickly go to check out, I have just enough time to rearrange the back of the SUV hiding the set before Kathryn and Sam come out to find me.
Once arriving at home I tell the two, “I’m really tired can I wait to unload the SUV, I need a nap and I want to snuggle with my favorite girls.”
Sam giggles, “Daddy I’m not sleepy at all.”
Kathryn knew that I didn’t want Sam to see certain things namely the tea set. She also knew I had something I wanted to tell her, and didn’t want Sam to hear. Kathryn giving Sam a kiss saying, “That’s okay Sam, you can watch some TV while JJ and I take a nap.”
Sam smiles and gives us a hug and tells us, “I would rather go swimming but since no one else is here the TV will be okay.”
I suggest to Sam, “After our nap Sam we can go swimming.”
Sam giggles, agrees and starts skipping off. Kathryn and I head up to our bedroom once there I say, “I figured out what want to get Sam for Christmas.”
Kathryn giggles and says, “I bet you are going to get her the play house. That’s why I’ve told you the get the tea set, it goes with it.”
Chuckling I say, “I’ll never be able to keep a secret from you my Love.”
Kathryn giggles, “I just remembered how much you really wanted to bring Sam’s mother’s Playhouse with us. Did you even ask Jerry if it could be moved?”
I tell Kathryn, “Jerry actually built it a long time ago. He looked at it. It needs major work on it soon. A lot of the lumber is now rotten or termite eaten. It would never survive even being lifted onto a flatbed.”
Kathryn asked, “If you can’t bring the play house, what are you doing for Sam?”
I tell Kathryn, “The crew said they would have Kara’s house finished by 10 December. That gives the crew fourteen days to build a Playhouse and move it over into the backyard, this spring will put a white picket fence around it with a gate. That way the kids can play in its yard. Maybe we’ll make it a little bigger and I had power and air conditioning that way the kids can have more fun in it.”
Kathryn giggling says, “You’re going to spoil our kids so bad. I bet it will have three or four rooms, and a bathroom and TV set in its living room.”
Chuckling I say, “That’s not a bad idea, I was thinking of surveillance cameras so we can keep an eye on the kids. With the TV set, we can make it so we can broadcast from one of our computers directly to it.”
Kathryn giggles, “Our kids are going to think you’re the Wizard of Oz. You know all and see all that type of thing.”
I hug Kathryn to me, “I love you. You know it’s just to keep an eye on the ones I love.”
Kathryn giggles, “I love you too, and I know you are just watching out for us.”
Kathryn and I lie there enjoying each other’s company, we chat as I caress her. We both know we can’t make love so it’s not sexual, it’s just a way I can show that I love her. After maybe half an hour we both hear Sam’s footsteps on the stairs, we pretend to be asleep as Sam walks into her room. As she shakes Kathryn gently we pretend to wake up. Sam is already in her swimming suit, we both know she couldn’t wait any longer to go swimming. We quickly change and take Sam down the play in the pool and do our laps.
After swimming while Kathryn and Sam change I removed the tea set in place it in the utility room. We’ll wrap it as soon as we can.
Now for Sam’s house, I call Daniel’s cell phone and Kara answers, without Sam around I tell her what I’m thinking about doing and she puts it on speaker, Daniel was making dinner for the two of them. Daniel knows a little about module homes, he had interned at a design facility for them. He even tells me the barn at his place just down the road would be perfect to build it in. They can build it right on the flatbed.
Daniel jokingly says, “JJ, I will make it just big enough so Sam and all her cousins and sisters can have a good place to play.”
I tell him about the surveillance I want to install. How a TV set that can accessed via the Internet allowing us to talk to the kids. That way we can talk to the kids over the TV, and watch what happens. Daniel chuckles and says, “That’s a great idea, if all of us get to watch our kids play.”
Chuckling I return, “I think that’s a great idea, that would make it easier, we all wouldn’t have to watch all the time, but could or take turns making sure the kids are safe.”
Kara giggles, “I’ve got an idea of what I want to give Sam now, and I saw this little dining room set. It set about six small chairs with it, it would be great for the kids, and we can always use it for Thanksgiving and Christmas after moving it out of the play house for those dinners.”
Daniel chuckled, “I saw a sofa, and I’ll get her that.”
Kara says, “Karen and Michelle both did not have a clue on what to buy Sam. I think this is going to be a lot of fun. Joan and Misty are probably going to enjoy this too.”
I see Sam just starting downstairs and I tell Kara and Daniel, “I’ll talk to you soon Sam’s here you want to say hi?”
Kara wants to, and I hand the phone to Sam she has a big smile as she talks to her aunt. Sam tells about her day, and she’s gotten almost all the family something, but she’s going to need another day to shop. Kara asked if Sam has gotten her gift, and Sam smiles as she says “I think I got a really nice one for you.”
I can hear Kara giggle through the phone before she says, “As long as it’s from your heart Sam, I’ll love it. Since you do not need to shop for me, I could take you shopping you can help me find a gift for your Mommy.”
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