A Mom’s Wishlist for Santa
Dear Santa,
This year my 8-year-old daughter asked if I was going to write to Santa. She’s been writing to you all year and thinking very carefully about what she wants for Christmas. It’s been a while now since I’ve taken the time to write to you, but I think I’ll do that this year!
So Santa, I’d like to start off with the basics. To be honest, I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas. We’ve had some beautiful snow and ice storms already (see the pictures I took last week?). No more snow for me! I want our family travels to be safe!
But, dear Santa, I do have a few other things on my wishlist… (scroll down just a tad)…
Selfishly, my health is at the top of the list. I’ve been struggling with balance, vertigo, vision and hearing issues ever since my ear surgery last October. I really want to feel normal again… and don’t want to be going to doctors/specialists two or three times a week. I’d like to be able to walk across the room without feeling seasick or losing my balance. I’d like to be able to turn my head without things going out of focus. I’d like to be able to drive safely at night. And Santa, even the kids have added this to their wishlist (that makes me choke up!). So if you have the wherewithal, I’d like to get better. Soon.
This might be a funny request, Santa, but I’d like a Teflon jacket. You might not believe this, but I think that jacket will help keep the channels of communication open in our home. You see, as the kids are getting older they have more to say and have stronger opinions about what is right or wrong. They don’t always think before they speak. Sometimes it would be better for me to keep my mouth shut, not to respond and not take comments to heart. That Teflon jacket will help those kinds of comments slide off me. Then I can address only the truly hurtful, disrespectful or rude comments that occur from time to time. I’m hoping that jacket would give me the wisdom to choose my battles wisely so that I can truly listen to the kids — their feelings, their dreams, their joys, and their trials.
Santa, I’d love some building materials so I can setup boundaries for the kids that are safe and reasonable. My kids are getting older, but Hubby and I still struggle to create rules that are consistent and fair. LD has a tablet, for example, and we’re trying to make sure that we give him some freedom, but are not letting electronics time (or other things) get out of control. [By the way, thank you Santa for that early Christmas present… the Skydog wireless router–I love having the ability to restrict the kids’ access to the internet to certain windows of the day and to limit what kinds of websites they can access!]
Santa, my kids are starting to make a life of their own — they are cultivating friendships and stepping out into the world little bits at a time. I would like a giant safety net, so the kids know they always have a loving, safe place to fall. I want to support them as they venture out and grow up, but want to be there for them when they need it.
Santa, can I have a tape recorder so that I don’t have to repeat myself over and over, day after day?
- “Turn that off, please.”
- “Empty the dish washer, please.”
- “Can you please let the dog in?”
- “Can you pick up those bits of paper (craft materials, markers) over there please?”
- “Don’t forget to clear your place.”
- “Did you finish your math?”
- “Please bring up some firewood when you come in.”
- “Wash your hands for dinner.”
- “When was the last time you showered?”
- “Are you ready for bed? Did you brush teeth? Do dental floss?”
If you don’t have a tape recorder, I’d love an extra dose of patience and kindness, Santa. All Moms and Dads are stretched to the limits of their patience at times, but with that extra support maybe I can be a better role model for the kids!
Santa, can I have a bottle of enthusiasm and energy? Sometimes I need to crank up the enthusiasm level when the kids are dragging. I know if I get excited, the kids feed off that energy. This is particularly useful in our homeschool (but could even help in getting them to put laundry away, right?!!). I want to be innovative, inspiring — and to help the kids find moments of learning that leave them begging for more!
Santa, I’ve heard you have a reacher tool. I don’t need the one from Amazon… I need the tool that helps me reach out to my family and friends more often. It’s easy to get caught up in my day-to-day flurry of school, writing, doctor runs, and activities, but I need to pick up the phone and reach out to my loved ones more often. I need to check in on my friend who is pregnant. I need to go to coffee with the friends I haven’t caught up with in a while! I even need to reach out to Hubby and make sure we’re going out on a date every now and then. Yes, Santa, that reacher tool is absolutely essential at this point in my life!! There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. ~Thomas Aquinas
I would love to have a magnifying glass this year. I want to focus on the good memories and fun times. I want to look closely at and be in the moment with the kids. No more of this looking off into the future and focusing on what “needs to be done” — I promise to use the magnifying glass to hone in on creating good memories with the kids right now!
Santa, I’d like a huge bulletin board so that our family can highlight and celebrate our moments of kindness, compassion, creativity, achievement and hard work! There are sure are lots of great moments in our lives!
Perhaps a stack of greeting cards would also be useful so I can tell the kids how much I admire them for the people they are becoming. I want the kids to know how incredibly proud I am of them!
Thank you, Santa. With these gifts I’ll try to be a better person and a better Mom!
Love,
Liesl
