i just talked to my sister. money is tight this year so they had been doing a good job of scaling back on presents. the girls are still really little so they don't notice. anyway, my sister decided that they would get the 2yr old an art table. one of those easel, table combos with all the drawers, etc. my brother in law is an artist and j likes to draw with daddy.

they are very excited about this and have planned to have it all set up with a big bow so she can use it right away. they bought art supplies and lots of paper (and soap!!)

they go to dinner with friends last night and all of their friends got together and gave j...guess what.....an art table. my sister is almost in tears. it was pretty much what they had built her christmas around and now they are sunk. it was supposed to be from santa. she has a few other things, but nothing like that and she doesn't just want to go out and buy something just to buy something. this is what she really wanted to give her. her friends really were just trying to be nice and didn't know.

i offered to help out, but there just isn't much to be done. she is bummed and dealing with in laws on top of that and i feel awful for her. the bright side is that j won't really notice. she is only 2, but that doesn't make it easier for my sister.

wish there was something more that i could do.......she is just feeling like this is the first year that j has an inkling about santa and now things aren't the way she wanted.