Dear Santa, and other requests.....

Mom Unplugged was discussing wish lists and how to keep a handle
on the "request" for gifts from children.
She has some great ideas if you are dealing with this right now,
check her blog out.
In our house, we allow Princess to "ask" for anything..if you don't ask for what you really want, you will never get it. We also let her know when we think what she wants is inappropriate or unsafe. We have discussed the toy recalls with her and we also tell her when things are just too expensive.I usually say
"If Santa provides a toy to every child who believes in him..how could he afford to get all that for you?"
Yes, "a toy". That's our story and we're sticking with it!
We only get her one present from us, one from the cats and Santa brings one gift and fills a stocking.
Last year Farmer Dad splurged and got her a "Barbie Dream House" from Santa.
I had told her over and over she would not get it from Santa because it was too much money (see above).
She continued to tell anyone who would listen that she knew she would get it from him, because as she explained
very patiently to Farmer Dad ,"Santa always brings you your hearts desire, and that Barbie Dream House is my hearts desire!" I am really not sure where my 4 year old heard "hearts desire" from.
It was already December when he announced he would be buying that Barbie Dream House
for her.He was not,he said, going to allow his daughter's dreams to be crushed over something as trivial as money ,or something similar.(naturally I am paraphrasing)I laughed, knowing so many Mom's who had tried to get it but could no longer find it for sale locally,
and said "sure, go ahead". The God's must look out for idiots, I mean last minute shoppers like him.
He found one at Toys R Us behind the desk, that was being held for someone else. He pointed out that there was one behind the sales associate and she looked at the tag and said "this person is two weeks late picking this up, you can have it." They would have put it back on the floor if they had only had the time to do so.
He brought it home and hid it in the attic.
Was it worth the money? I would have to say yes, I'm not sure whose face glowed with more happiness
last Christmas morning, Princess's at finding Santa had indeed brought her "the gift", or Farmer Dad's for
making his little girl's dream come true.
This year she received a rather big gift from us for her birthday, a new guitar, so she has already been told
the gifts will be smaller for Christmas. Her wish list has actually reflected that.
Hey, even Santa has a budget! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!