Christmas Negotiations

I love the magic of Santa--I hope we can preserve it for a long time. The kids are so excited about counting down the days until Christmas and visiting Santa at Bass Pro and figuring out what they want the most.

We made our Christmas lists for Santa and it is always an anxious experience for me--probably because I'm a planner and a bargain shopper. See, by the time Christmas comes around, most of my Christmas gifts have already been purchased, so I don't enjoy seeing items on the list that are new or out of the budget. So, I have to swing it my way--for example...

Ella: I want an electric scooter.
Lauren: Remember, we looked up scooters on the computer and they were only for kids 8 and up. I don't think Santa will bring you a toy that isn't safe. You better think of something else.
Ella: What about a new pillow pet?
Lauren: Well, you already have pillow pets. Remember when we were at the store and you saw the easy-bake oven.
Ella: Oh yeah, I want an easy-bake oven.
Kayla: I want a horse for my doll.
Ella: Oh yeah, I want a horse for my doll.
Lauren: Are you sure about that?
Ella: Yes, I want a brown horse.
Kayla: I want a brown horse too.
Lauren: Oh no, I think you wanted the white horse. Remember the one that you loved at the store.
Kayla: Oh yeah, how do you spell white?

Negotiations went on until they had figured out the three items they wanted most. Then I made them "lock in their lists." We put them in a mailbox ornament on the Christmas tree, where they are whisked away by Santa's elves and no changes can be made :) It's hard to preserve the magic of Santa and the budget sometimes!!

This year, we decided to add a new aspect to our season. The girls not only made a wish list, by a gift list. I let the girls do some extra jobs around the house to earn money to purchase gifts for our family members and close friends. I thought the list that Ella made up was quite thoughtful--albeit I had to negotiate with her at the store since her eyes were bigger than her wallet.