Yesterday I gathered the kids around the table for hot chocolate and good old letters to Santa time.
My kids are 4, 7 and 9, and we are hosting a foreign exchange student who is 16, and this is the first time I had everyone sit down and write their own letters and wish lists.
I found this adorable Christmas writing paper at Activity Village and downloaded special stationery for the letters. (This site has all sorts of resources and lined papers –plain lines, large lines and handwriting lines that you could use for tons of activities for school and home. not just Christmas.)
I made hot chocolate on the stove, complete with mini marshmallows and peppermint sticks. I shared our brand-new Christmas-scented Smencils for the occasion and Shari (our exchange daughter) set up her Christmas playlist on her iPhone.
It was a beautiful, festive set up.
Until my sons started arguing over the Lego magazine. And the one that didn’t have the magazine couldn’t think of anything he wanted. (Really?? Nothing??)
Both boys hate to write anything or even have any type of writing utensil in their hands. (I once punished one son by requiring him to color an entire kids coloring menu at a restaurant. Yes, the whole thing. Even the chili peppers.) So about an hour later we still had a blank list.
My daughter, on the other hand, convinced Shari to write for her and had her copying almost the entire Target toy catalog… or at least anything with a hint of pink.
One by one I had to issue the “There will be no Christmas presents for you this year” threat to each of my boys. I did so in a very calm, loving, and still firm voice, though. No shouting here. But I wanted that list!
Yes, I know that Christmas is about the birth of our Savior, but, let’s get real… it is also about a lot of other gifts, too, whether we want it to be, or not. And for anyone who wants to know what my children are interested in this year, I’d like to have a list. And I thought this would be a sweet afternoon filled with peace, love, joy and Christmas fun.
Oh well.
We did find a cool app on the Toys R Us site for my ipad.
Yes, it smacks of commercialism. But my boys loved sliding their favorite toys and games into a favorites list for Santa (And grandparents, aunts and uncles and the like). And, yes, I made them copy their ideas right onto that adorable Christmas paper.
Aaaaaaah. The season is upon us!
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