gifts

Whenever Alan and I take a trip, which admittedly isn't often, we buy the girls a present. This is an agonizing process. I want to get them just the right gift, something that they will love and will be used or played with. Last year when we went to Boston we scored with a froggie umbrella for Emmie, but Sarah was disappointed with the Hello Kitty backpack. This year I tried harder to find something Sarah would enjoy. We ended up with two presents for each child. Each girl got a monkey toy with velcro hands and feet to wrap around the neck or whatever. This was my favorite and I thought surely the girls would love it. It got a luke-warm reception from all three. Emmie got a froggie necklace which was a hit. (Whew. One down.) Alyssa got a little wooden zoo train with three removable animals. She loved it! So did Emily. (Two down.) Sarah got a book about illustrating, especially comic style. She regarded it with little interest. We also bought a book, cartoon style, about George Washington for them to share. Sarah noted that one with keen interest and has been reading it in all her spare time. So we sort of did okay. What we thought she'd like she didn't really but at least the shared book she really loved. Why is it so hard to pick out the right thing for her?