“What should we get my aunt?” What should we get your mom?” “Your brother’s hard to buy for.” “Mama’s not gonna like that.” “I had the perfect gift idea for Mamaw, but it’s all sold out at Walmart.”

Christmas shopping problems – we all have them. We search for the perfect yet affordable present for each family member. Sometimes, we have to resort to the go-to socks. Everyone needs them. And they don’t put a dent in your bank account. But really, who wants socks for Christmas? My husband does. Hunting socks to be exact.

If the word hunting is involved, any gift for Jacob is fair game. And my daddy bought my mama socks for their first Christmas. She was always wearing his; and just entering age 20, they weren’t exactly able to buy those five-pound cell phones for each other if you know what I mean.

My husband will probably include socks in my stocking this year, as well, because like Mama, I wear his socks. Why, you may ask? My feet stay cold and his socks are thicker and longer. They may hang off the toes a bit, but my feet are at least snug and warm. He doesn’t understand that I don’t want my own socks – I have his.

The easiest to buy for are the children. I’ve never seen a child turn down a toy, except for that year Santa brought me the wrong baby doll. I was a particular child.

My four-year-old stepdaughter Paisley already knows which gift is hers under the tree. I’ve only wrapped a few presents, and haven’t made nametags yet; but she can tell you who each of the eight gifts belongs to. I won’t be falling for the “I don’t remember” line anymore. I told her one time whose gift is whose. And they all look very much alike. I find her examining hers often. One morning, she said she was pretending it was Christmas. She played “Christmas” for a little while, then asked if she could open her present because “it’s Christmas,” she said. She’s good. I fear what she will do when several gifts belonging to her start appearing under the tree.

She also has a tree in her room. Last week, we let her decorate the four-footer. Like I mentioned before, I’m very particular. It takes me a while to decorate a Christmas tree, because every ornament has to be placed just so. With her, this is not the case. Jacob and I bought her some cute little brightly colored reindeer to put on her tree. She loved them. We took them out of the package and handed them to her, one by one. And one by one, she put them in a herd at the bottom right-hand side of the tree. It literally took everything in me to keep from “helping” her move them around.

She then took some cute shoe ornaments I gave her and placed them all on the upper right-hand side of the tree. By this time, Jacob noticed me taking deep breaths. I kept telling myself, “It’s her tree. It’s her tree.”

For my consolation, I convinced her to place some of the shoes and little purses in other areas of the tree. But the reindeer were not moving. She was so proud of where she had put them. She shows anyone who walks in her room her deer, which she has named Daddy, Jessica, Paisley and Papa G (my daddy).

We recently took a trip to Walmart to pick her out a tree topper. She picked an electric blue sparkle star. It doesn’t match. But it’s the only one she wanted. So, her little tree is currently donning a lot of ornaments on the right side and the brightest blue star you have ever seen. She loves it.

I hope your Christmas shopping and decorating is pleasant this year. Paisley knows she’s getting lots of presents, but she also knows why we celebrate Christmas – the baby in the manger who came to save us all. And that’s the best present.

You may write to Jessica Boyd-Smith by emailing jessimarie2010@yahoo.com.