Pass it On

Like Santa Claus, my mom never shows up empty-handed. When she visits, the kids gather at the door, waiting to see how lucky they'll be this time. Will it be the new Lemony Snicket book? That turtleneck Abby had circled -- hint, hint -- in the Land's End catalog a few months ago? A pair of earrings for Phoebe's recently pierced ears? If a grandmother's…