Dear Santa,

Well, it's almost been a year since you've visited our home. We're anxiously awaiting your return! Sam for one has been making a list for you since summer!

Good News! The main things the girls would like are, strangely enough, sold out of in all the stores. In fact, the stores said they won't get anymore of these items until- get this- after the new year! Guess we're lucky that you can have your elves make anything, to spare us parents from calling and running all over the city in search of the non-existent super hot toy items. So get crackin, and don't let those elves slack, I would hate for them to get behind in production like these huge toy companies!

And about Sam- well, he wants everything he sees. So that should be an easy one for you.

My husband? Who knows what he would like to have. If you come up with a suggestion, shoot it my way as I am completely clueless. If you can't come up with something, I suppose we'll have to just get him a nice sweater?

As for me. I want TIME. Time to get the laundry caught up, time to clean the house, time to read, time. Just time. Time, especially, to truly enjoy the holiness of this holiday- but based on the fact I am writing you this letter PRIOR to Thanksgiving, I'm afraid that the frenzy has already begun.

Oh, and I want a haircut. A real, live haircut.

And if you can swing it- I would love to have my van clean. Perhaps your elves could do that while you do you thing under the tree? But tell them to wear plastic gloves, it's pretty stick in there.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for The Santa Card. Even though we just wrapped up Halloween, I am actively playing this card- sometimes more than once a day. "Don't hit your sister, Santa is watching", "Put your toys away, you wouldn't want Santa to see you not appreciating what you have", "You better obey- Santa's checking his list". You know- just the usual chaos around here, but at least now I can threaten them with you. So thanks for that.

Don't expect home made cookies this year, by the way. I can already tell that I am probably not going to have time to bake them. Sorry. But help yourself to whatever you find in the fridge- but look out, I doubt I will have had the time to clean it out prior to your arrival. So anything furry, probably not good. Got it? Good.

I probably should mention this to you, as you may not know, and I would hate for everyone to be thinking it and not say anything to you about it. So here goes. You are not the main focus for this season. There, I said it. See- many years ago, there was this baby born in a stable- and surprisingly enough- his birth changed the entire world. Christmas is, wait for it, HIS birthday! I know you generally visit us on that same day, but I want you to know that my focus this year is going to be on HIM, rather than YOU. No hard feelings, it just is what it is. But we are still looking forward to your visit, since you always bring such super cool things and the wonderful magic that surrounds you. But just know, when you come, that the birthday cake on the kitchen counter is for HIM, not YOU, so keep your furry white gloves out of it. Okay? Okay.

And while you are here, feel free to throw a load in the washer.