x-mas at our house: part 2

Hanukkah in a box arrives a few days post holiday from my brother. I'm holding the package, Amelia and Josie are grabbing with both hands.

Inside, mixed up in the packing peanuts, is a trail of Lou and Tom's last couple months. B is for Buckeye alphabet book from their football weekend in Columbus. Mexico T-shirts from their week in Cuernavaca. And, of course, the Hanukkah lute.

For the festival of lights its two little matching bear outfits: Happy Hanukkah T-shits and blue boxers with menorahs, dreidels and stars of David. And, two Build A Bear gift cards so each girl can stuff an animal to dress in the outfits.

Josie reaches her hand into the box, closes a fist around a half dozen peanuts, pulls them out and laughs as they rain onto the carpet. "I like these," she says. "I like to do this," she takes a peanut in one hand, pinches out a tiny chunk between her thumb and first finger. Another pinch and another until one peanut is 13 peanut bits on the floor.

"I like that," she says. "I want to keep doing that."

Amelia pulls the Hanukkah shirt onto Vanilla, her already built build a bear, and slides her into the boxers one purple leg at a time. Happy Hanukkah.

"Mom," she says. "Can we go to this week. I really need to go to Build A Bear this week."

I ask if it has to be this week. Tell her the malls will be crazy busy and I'd rather wait until after the holiday when things quiet down.

"Mom," she says. "Please can we go this week. I need to go before Christmas so I can get my new Hanukkah bear the Santa outfit."