I know the feeling, each year i go through it too
my kid's birthday was yesterday. she turned 8.
but I didn't have her this year.
I haven't seen her since this past sunday,
and won't be getting her again til dec 30
it's always been tough getting stuff to separate birthday and christmas.
I think I did ok this year though.
this past weekend I got her the birthday stuff;
pokemon moon for 3ds,
the pokemon lunchbox thing with like 5 packs of cards in it, among other stuff
some shirts, and while we were out snow apparently soaked her socks through her boots
so she got to pick out a new pair of boots.
now... I have another week to prepare her christmas stuff..
before i remarried and had these two, it was usually just me for christmas.
My four other kids were usually with their dad, their grandma did the most awesome things
for holdiays, and I couldn't them miss it. Luckily it wasnt that long only a day or so until i'd have them,
but still it sucked. I don't miss it. (And of course it was used to show I didn't really want or care about my kids,
becsaue I didn't take them on holidays, becsaue sitting on my own was..ok but i probably can skip that part)
Though I still hate it when they aren't here for holidays!
But then I feel like crap when they are because i can't do a fraction of what I used to, it's ridiculous,
can't do crap, it's like I'm 90 already, and I had been kinda looking forward to being 'that' Grandma someday.
but heck, @@Pleco is right, that's what Costco is for.
I don't know what my point really is after that, except it sucks and you really seem like an awesome dad.
It makes a big difference. My older girls , i feel bad fro them, you can see the toll, theirs just
treated them like crap, and custody and everything was all about him 'winning'.
They are so awesome, and it upsets me how little they seem to really realize it.
From things you've posted,and your attitude about it all you seem very much the opposite. She's a lucky kid.