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The Christmas List Amendment

My kids make their Christmas lists in late November.  They sit, look through "wishbooks" (catalogs) and write their little wishes for Santa.  We leave our letters with our elf as soon as he arrives, and he whisks the letters to Santa December 1st.

After looking through dozens of toy catalogs and seeing dozens of commercials, the letters are ready for the toy workshop.  The kids know everything that is most desired and what they want to see under that tree Christmas morn.

Until now.

Every year, mid December, some or one of my kids feels the need to make amendments to their Christmas list.  They do this by leaving our elf, Stanley, some notes or an all out letter to Santa.  It's usually something along the lines of, "Dear Santa, I forgot to add ______.  Thanks soooooooo much...."  This inevitably happens after they are out running errands with me and they see something that they simply *must* have.

This year, I'm a little behind the eight ball getting the letters to the North Pole.  I grabbed them yesterday, and slid them next to our elf.  I told the kids the letters are headed to the North Pole, and if they're good the elves will be making their toys.

I figured we were doing well; since the lists had been made I have heard no further wishes.  But as soon as the lists were waiting with the our elf to head North to Santa, my kids felt some panic. My eight year old slid his list from the pack to make an amendment.  He added slippers.  My four year old spent the morning with me in Toys R' Us running errands. 

Her list had a major overhaul.

Her list grew to long enough that we had to sit and go over it, line by line.  The first time we removed nothing because my question was "Do you still want....____?"

The answer was yes to everything.

The second time around we went with "How much do you want _______?  A LOT or a LITTLE?"  We were able to shave off some items that weren't quite as wished for as other items.  Every "a whittle" was met with a line straight through it.

This morning, I'm doing as I do every year mid-December.  Returning and buying the amended items.  Here's to a Starbucks coffee and an Auntie Annie's Pretzel as I cruise the mall.

Cheers!  15 days until Christmas!

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