Ian has wanted an iPhone forever. He loves playing the silly app games. He loves organizing the apps on my phone. Sometimes he organizes my apps by function. Other times he organizes them by their operating system. I yelled at him a couple of weeks ago, because I couldn’t find the Facebook app. It was in a folder labeled “IOS6”. I yelled, “Ian, I can’t find my Facebook app. Where did you put it?” And he was like, “Duh, mom. Isn’t it obvious?”

He’s begged for his own iPhone over and over for years, and we’ve always said no. What’s a punk kid with no friends going to do with an iPhone? After a while, he stopped asking for one. He would just sigh as we left the Apple Store and say to himself, “I wish I had an iPhone.”

In the beginning of December, Ian put together his Santa list. It was a very modest list with three inexpensive video games and a calendar. Steve and I brainstormed ideas for him. He’s been loving music, so we thought about getting him an IPod Touch. But when I compared prices, I realized that an iPhone was cheaper with our family plan than an iPod Touch.

The Apple Store and ATT were having issues this December. It took ten trips to the Apple Store and later the ATT store to finally make the purchase on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning, Ian woke up first, got dressed and waited patiently for Jonah, so they could open presents together.

Come on, Jonah. Wake up already!

Alright, time to get down to business. Unwrapping time! First, Ian opened the video games that he asked for. He was very happy that Santa got it right this year.

And then he picked up that small rectangular package.

What could it be?

As he peeled back the paper, he said softly, “I got an iPhone 5S.”

He had to immediately place it on the coffee table. Like it was too hot to handle.

“I got an iPhone,” he repeated and gazed at his good fortune. It took about 30 minutes for the shock to wear off. And another 24 hours, before he had swiped Jonah’s $50 iTunes gift card and bought himself all sorts of ridiculous things.