Since Gavin's vocabulary is limited to a few one-syllable words, his wish list includes things like "ball," "book," and "more" (which we can only assume to mean more food!). Everytime we ask him what he wants from Santa, he replies, "ball." Imagine his delight when he receives an inflatable ball pit filled with 250 plastic balls!!! (A Daddy idea...I'm already dreading the cleanup and inevitable dodgeball fights!)
Ryan's list was much more surprising, especially given the number of elaborate toys available. When asked, the only thing he consistently and repeatedly says he wants for Christmas is a big crane that's bigger than he is. He got an Imaginext crane last year for Christmas and he rarely plays with it. The only explanation we can think of is that perhaps the crane was one of the first things that caught his attention in a toy catalog.
We think his coloring has improved tremendously over the past year. Not only did he do a better job staying within the lines, but he also added decorative touches like colored ornaments and garland on the tree, buttons on the gingerbread man, and a red nose on the reindeer. The candy cane is black and red striped rather than the traditional white and red because, as Ryan explained, "white crayons don't show up on white paper."
Here are Ryan and Gavin's completed Santa letters. You should be able to click on the picture below to enlarge it so you can read the text. Just in case that doesn't work, the text of Ryan's letter reads: "Dear Santa, I have been a very good boy this year. I always let ladies go first, I am also nice sometimes, and my little brother always wants to play with me. So, I think I should be on the Nice List. I would like...a remote controlled car, a big tall crane (taller than the one I already have), a remote controlled race track, a Nerf ball that flattens into a disc when you throw it, and a big football (soft so that I can play inside with it)." Gavin's letter reads: "Dear Santa, I give hugs and kisses and usually play nicely with my big brother. If I promise to try to sleep in longer in the mornings, will you bring me: a ball, toothbrushes, and more cookies."
I love that when asked to provide examples for how he's been nice this year, his first response is letting ladies go first. Is he becoming a little gentleman or what?! And, it's cute that he qualifies that he's nice "sometimes." I think he's kind and thoughtful far more often than not. And, I guess the fact that Gavin wants to play with him proves that he's nice because who wants to play with a mean bully or grump?!
True to his word, Gavin has been sleeping in until 6:15 or 6:30 each morning (which may not sound like much, but I feel like a new woman already!). Although it may sound strange for Gavin to have toothbrushes on his wish list, he is obsessed with them. Each morning, he lets himself into their shared bathroom, climbs up on the stool, and reaches his arms as far as he can until he finally grabs a toothbrush. If he could, he'd walk around every waking moment with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. But, big mean Mommy and Daddy won't let him because it's a safety hazard; we worry he'll fall forward and jam it down his throat.
The next day, we went to the mall to have the boys' holiday pictures taken and to mail their Santa letters to the North Pole (courtesy of Macy's "Believe" Campaign). The pictures below are deceiving - despite his disarmingly charming grin, Gavin had just thrown a complete temper tantrum at Picture People forcing us to reschedule their photo session. I guess the promise of having his wish list read by Santa and his elves and the threat of ending up on the "Naughty List" inspired Gavin's cooperation. Ryan was exceedingly patient and well behaved despite the ridiculously long wait at Picture People. And, he helped Gavin stuff his letter to Santa into the envelope provided and addressed it to Santa at the North Pole. Then together they mailed their letters and curiously peered into the mail slot to see where their envelopes went.
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