Christmas Wish List

If you’re wondering what to get me for Christmas here is my wish list …

• An iPhone charger cable that is 11 ft long.
• An IV drip that can administer Dr. Pepper
• 0.05 pound dumb bells
• A really good mystery novel that is 8 or less pages long

I’m just kidding – this post entitled “Christmas Wish List” is not actually my personal Christmas wish list.  (Although any of the above will be more than welcome under my tree on December 25th.)

This year, Nora is old enough to really understand Christmas!  And although it is absolutely exciting to see her light up at the magic of the season, she doesn’t necessarily understand the true meaning of Christmas.  And the only thing Gwen knows about Christmas is that there is supposed to be snow.  So we’re 0 for 2 currently.  #winning. 

I want my girls to truly learn the reason for the season.  I want them to enjoy giving as much as (if not more than) they love receiving.  

This is the first year we have had cable during the holidays.  Ughhhhhhh (eye roll).   Commercials are the worst thing that ever happened to Santa.  Nora literally wants every thing advertised on television.  On every channel.  Disney’s got Cabbage Patch Dolls? I hear “Mommy! I wan that!” (And I say H-E- double hockey sticks NO, those things are creepy! I better never find one of those under my tree!) Nickelodeon’s got Hot Wheels?  My Nora wants them. HGTV’s got power tools?  You guessed it – they are on Nora’s Christmas list.  It’s fun to see her excited for Christmas but I really don’t want my kids so wrapped up in the “wants”.

So Stefan and I did some brainstorming and thought of some ways to help them find the true meaning of Christmas!

I find the most Christmas joy when I am giving.  I get butterflies when I “think” I’ve found the best gift for somebody and I’m waiting for them to open it!  Like when I got my husband that Shark Vacuum.  I was like, awwww yeah! What guy doesn’t like power tools!  He’s gonna pee his pants!  There was pure joy in my heart .. until a couple days after Christmas when we didn’t have a Shark vacuum anymore.  Spoiler alert … I am not very good at giving gifts to my husband unless I buy them at Cabela’s or Victoria’s Secret.  Somehow I always hit the nail on the head when I shop at those two stores.  

So I figured, my girls can start to learn to give and how important it is and how exciting it can be!  Now is the perfect time.  I know they already have hearts of gold.  I know by their willingness to re-gift me their favorite toys.  Seems silly.  But think about it.  Would you offer your most “favorite things” to people?  Would Julie Andrews so easily hand over her bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens?  These girls are so generous.  They share their pizza with me. They share their kisses with me.  … I won’t even share my soda with my most favorite people most days.

We decided to start a new tradition this year.  To help the girls really think of others and the less fortunate we are going to help them donate a lot of their current toys on Christmas Eve.  They are going to be donating them to Santa and his workshop.  They will leave them in the living room on Christmas Eve night  and Santa will pick them up in the special bags we bought for them and he will take them back to the North Pole to fix them up and get them ready for re-delivery.  To help the girls think of which toys they may be able to part ways with, I designed this Christmas Wish List for them.  They get to write down all those things they “want” that they’ve seen on .. commercials (why I oughta).  But they also get to list which toys they are going to pack into their special sack for St. Nick.  (See below to download this Christmas Wish List for your kids .. or yourself .. grown ups gotta be accountible too peeps.)

I am so excited for this tradition and to see them develop a deep love for giving and helping those in need.  I think this will help them come closer to their Savior at this special time of year when we celebrate Him and all he gave for us.  

Merry Christmas guys!  If you would like to download this Christmas Wish List, click the link below.  I would love to hear some of your favorite traditions to help teach your children about the true reason for this season. 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Download Boys Wish List     Download Girls Wish List

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