My Christmas List

My son has been asking me for my Christmas list for two weeks now.  He wants to be finished shopping by Thanksgiving this year. I finally sent the list by e-mail to all three children and my husband this morning, and already I’m feeling anxious  thinking about all the things I forgot to include.  Now what?

It’s cute when a child says they forgot to put something on their Christmas list and you tell them:   Don’t worry, honey, Santa knows everything that you want.

It’s not so cute when an adult sends an e-mail attachment every few days and the subject line reads, addendum to my Christmas list - hope you haven’t gone shopping yet!

I don’t like making a Christmas list at my age.  I stopped making Christmas lists at age seven, after Santa disappointed me two years in a row and failed to bring me a Barbie doll.

I thought my husband was kidding, during our first year of marriage, and laughed him off when he asked for my Christmas list.

“Christmas lists are for kids,” I told him.

“Make me a list anyway,” he insisted.  “Everyone in my family makes a Christmas list.  My parents need a list from you, too.  They don’t know what to get you.”

I worked on the list for days, wondering, am I asking for too much?  Not enough?  Can I include clothing on this list?  Boots? Housewares?  Am I forgetting anything? I needed so much in those early years when all we could afford were the weekly groceries and a small bag of M&M’s for a weekend treat.

“Are you kidding me?!” my husband laughed when I finally handed him my Christmas list on an 8x10 sheet of loose leaf paper, filled front to back. He didn’t know I was holding page two behind my back. “Do you really think you’re going to get all this stuff?”

“What?” I asked.  “Did I ask for too much?  I wanted to give them choices, in case they couldn’t find some things.”

What did I know from Christmas lists anyway?  Was there an etiquette to submitting a Christmas list?   If the list is too long, does that mean you’re presumptuous and demanding?  If it’s too short are you insecure, lacking self confidence? What was the proper length for my first Christmas list to my new in-laws?

“That’s my list,” I told him.  “I’m not doing it over. Just pay close attention to everything that has a star next to it.  Those are the things I really want.”

“Do you want my list?” he asked, handing me a short piece of paper with about four items on it.

“Nope,” I answered, holding my hand up to the list.  “I already bought you something.”

Of course, I hadn’t, but I just had to get back at him for making fun of my long list.  And the look on his face was worth all the items on my list put together.