Dear Santa

The park district does a letter to Santa mailbox each year on the square.  We have participated the last few years and when I saw the box I was reminded that the kids hadn't written their letters yet.  So yesterday we worked on that.  Elizabeth did a really good job with her writing.  I spelled everything for her but she knew how to make all of the letters and her spacing wasn't too bad!  It was not hard for her to compile her list.  Grant on the other hand needed lots of help.  Of course he didn't do any writing, but he really hasn't had any clear ideas on what he wants for Christmas.  In our family Santa only brings one gift and on Christmas morning it is unwrapped and waiting for them under the tree.  With any luck it is the one gift that they really want.  "For your consideration" was added so that they know they might get everything on their list.  Elizabeth began to get concerned that she had listed five things but how would Santa know which one she really wanted? Thus the star next to the Barbie Makeup Mirror.  Which leads me into the story of the Barbie Makeup Mirror.  I had downloaded the Barbie Make-up App (which was of course free) not really knowing what it was.  You look into the screen and the camera put your face on the screen, like a mirror and then makeup magically appears and even if you move your head the makeup stays on.  It is kind of cool I admit.  BUT if you have the $80 makeup console you can apply different styles and colors etc....thus the reason the app was free - big marketing ploy and it caught her, hook line and sinker!  So she has been talking about wanting this and I was trying to discourage it, but then had the idea to let her look at it with me online so she could see what it actually does so she would know if it was something she would really want.  I mentioned this to my mom and with all of her grace and wisdom she said "really Alison you are making your 5 year old research her Christmas gift?"  Oh Mom, you are so right :) So instead I went home and did the research myself and watched a few YouTube videos of it and I think she actually will love it!  I hope Santa doesn't disappoint her if that is indeed what he chooses for her.

Then there is Grant.  When I asked him what he wanted to put on his list, he named things the other people wanted.  Then he came up with the angel idea.  Brandon and I bought our current angel one year after Christmas on a clearance rack.  She has beautiful fiber optics behind her that change colors and a star the lights up in one of her hands.  This week the fiber optics went out and now just the star shines.  I happened to think this was an improvement, of course the children disagreed.  The chances of finding another special angel like this will probably be difficult.  Perhaps we can clearance angel shop as a family together after Christmas this year.  The next thing, "a new house" just about broke my heart.  Of course with so many people being displaced because of the tornado it makes me feel guilty, because we need a house due to our own circumstances, not mother natures.  And just the fact that this made his  Christmas list kind of made me sad too :( But then we were on to more Grant like things....a hot dog maker!! Yes Bed Bath & Beyond sells a rotating style hot dog maker - so why would he not want one?! Then a toy catalog on the kitchen counter helped him with the barn and trailer idea.  Buddy, you aren't making this easy on Santa this year!  Of course last week all he wanted was a green and white phone to call his buddy Gavin - so who knows!!

Oh and the whole kicker...I missed the deadline by one day and the mailbox is gone. I guess we will just have to mail it directly to the North Pole!