Ode to The Mighty Eagle...

In the months leading up to Christmas, my wee Chimp had one consistent item on his wish list-The Mighty Eagle. Back in October, when he started talking about seriously needing The Mighty Eagle to complete his Angry Birds collection, I did what most normals Mamas do~ I ignored him:) October is simply way too early to finalize a real Christmas list....As the weeks clicked by, I kept asking them about Christmas and he did not relent. The Mighty Eagle was his hoop dream. The Mighty Eagle is the most powerful. The Mighty Eagle eats tuna. So, I finally clicked on to shop for Mighty and almost passed out when I saw the pricetag for the Mighty One~ 99 BUCKS, plus tax and shipping. For a stuffed animal. And he looked big, very big on the computer screen. After a few weeks of inner turmoil and trying to justify spending a Benjamin on a stuffed piece of poultry, I decided to make this boy's Christmas dream come true. You only believe for such a short time. I decided I was not going to live with regret if I did not order it. I clicked,  Mighty was in my shopping basket and I hit "submit" and hoped for the best.

I told him that The Mighty Eagle was very rare and there was a serious shortage and Santa most likely would not be able to deliver and to please not be disappointed. I couldn't help myself-I wanted him to be really surprised!

Then the box came. When I say ENORMOUS, I mean ENORMOUS. This feathered beast weighed about 20 pounds. He is beak heavy and I can barely lift him out of the box. I hid him in my studio until Christmas-covering the GIANT box with tissue paper, Cricut cartridges and junk ribbons to camo it.

I placed Mighty on the love seat Christmas Eve with a big red bow (FYI~he took up most of the love seat;)

Christmas morn, I was downstairs and about 6:00am with my mother-in-law and we finally heard tiny footsteps upstairs. I could hear that is was Gavin. He was the first one up. I could also hear that he was brushing his teeth before he came down. He is my sweet baboo.

He came downstairs and the look of astonishment-shock-disbelief that The Mighty Eagle was his was overwhelming to him. I also think the actual size of the beast was stunning to him. He kept saying over and over and over again how he could not believe that Santa would choose this gift for him with the serious shortage:) It was a beautiful moment and will be forever in my heart. It was worth every single penny.

Nowadays, The Mighty Eagle flies his gigantic girth all over the house. He has a big, fat beak. He is obnoxious and he takes up too much real estate. I get enraged if he is on the floor when I am about to vacuum. I found him this afternoon in Griffin's room with his plush posses and snapped this picture before I kicked him in the grill. Come on, funny.

And...finally....I can never quite express how deeply I was affected by the tragedy on December 14th, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. This is something that I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life. One of the most profound things I carry with me is that one of the little girls that died, had begged her mother to wear her new outfit to school that day. Her mother finally said yes. She died that day. But I am thankful and so touched that that Mom has that last act of beauty and kindness as a memory and that she did not say "no." I hope she finds one millisecond of comfort in that. Life is short, beautiful, tragic and unpredictable. If you have the chance to do something special for someone you love or even a complete stranger-just do it. No regrets. You never know if that chance will ever be realized again.

Kidhood is brief. Be present. Give with all of your heart. Love with all of your heart. Be the one that makes dreams come true.