You want what for Christmas?

An ipod nano, a Nintendo 3ds or a DSi (white one of course) or an Iphone are just a few items on my ten year old, Ava's christmas list.  My 3 year old also wants a Nintendo DS.  Yes, you read that right.  After my daughters read their list to me I couldn't help but comment on how expensive their lists are.  Without skipping a beat Ava said "What does it matter?  Santa doesn't have to buy things.  He makes them so I can ask for whatever I want."  Now picture her saying that with that "I know you buy our presents daddy but I'm going to pretend I believe in Santa just so you will make it so I'm not disappointed" look on her face.  Yeah, she's no dummy.  She knows how to play the game.  The only response I can come up with was "We're in a recession darling.  Even Santa is feeling the effects.  He can't afford to pay his elves to work extra hard on all these fancy gadgets."  I'd like to think I won that battle of wits.  But seriously, what ever happened to finding enjoyment in things that didn't cost hundreds of dollars?

My three year old, Bella's list was a little bit better.  A baby, a carriage, slippers, a dentist kit (a toy one of course.  Although it wouldn't surprise me one bit if she wanted the real thing.  We're talking about a girl who watches women giving birth on you tube all the time and actually enjoying it), and last but not least a Nintendo DS.  Now this list I can handle.  A DS for a three year old is potentially the greatest idea ever.  That might be the key to allowing me to sit down for longer than 10 minutes without having to break up a fight or pick up 8 million polly pockets off the floor.  I'll get her that with one of those fake pet games and she can sit there and feed her little digital chihuahua until it explodes.  Everyone wins.  Except the chihuahua of course.

The list I look forward to every year is my son's.  I enjoy passing along his list to Santa every year.  For my own selfish reasons of course.  The new Mario game for the 3DS?  You got it!  An Xbox 360?  I think I can try and make that happen.  His list is what my list would look like if I was 9 again (or 34.  Don't judge.).  As a dad, we tend to not ask for much for christmas.  We state what we need, like new pants or shoes, perhaps a tool that we need to replace or something like that.  We live vicariously through our sons.  Their presents are really our presents too.  What was that honey?  Ummm...yeah I'm not sure why Dylan is asking for a 50 inch flatscreen. 

Gone is the day where parents could get away with seeing your children overjoeyed with the little things.  I remember when I was a kid being excited about getting the new Motley Crue tape.  Not because it was Motley Crue, but because it was the first clear tape I had!  You could actually see the tape inside!  It was the coolest thing to little me.  The biggest gift I remember getting, and to this day the best toy of my childhood, was the Nintendo.  That might have been the best thing of any 30 something's younger days.  I remember getting it like it was yesterday.  No presents left, nothing that blew me away, but wait, what is that in the back of the tree?  Does it have my name on it?   What could it be?  A red rider bb gun perhaps?  In classic Christmas Story fashion, my parents saved the best present for last and managed to shape my childhood with one unwrapping of a present.  That Nintendo created some of the best memories for me.  Waking up at 5am to play Excitebike.  Throwing my first controller when I couldn't beat Piston Honda in Mike Tyson's Punch Out (my mom actually immediately returned the game afterwards.  Still mad at her for that!).  Starting a lawn mower service with my friend Andrew just so we could buy Nintendo games.  I think we mowed two lawns, bought a game and immediately shut down operations.  I loved whenever the latest Nintendo Power would show up in our mail box.  Especially the one that announced Super Mario 3 was going to come out.  I saved every dime I made just to buy that game.  So yeah, looking back at all this has made me a little biased when it comes to gift giving.  I look back and see how much fun I had doing the things that my son wants to do and want to be able to give him those same memories.  Who can blame a guy for that? 

So this year I will try and make sure Santa gets what my kids are asking for on their lists.  Me?  I don't need anything.  Watching their faces as they open up their gifts is a gift in itself.  I just can't wait to play my new Xbox.....I mean watch my son play HIS new Xbox.  Every boy needs his red rider bb gun moment.  Maybe this year my son will have his.