Wish Lists

The Christmas LTD catalog arrived in the mail the other day, and my children have been painstakingly going through, page by page, with a pen.  Circle an item.  Write name. Circle an item. Write name.  They gather together around the catalog, a pinwheel of legs sticking out from the glorious offerings.  "As Seen on TV!"  "LTD exclusive item!"  "Time saver!"   

Some of the things they choose are fun.  Bed tents?  Awesome.  I remember when they came out.  I was too old to have one by then, but the thought of having a tent covering your bed?  The privacy!  The solitude!  The awesomeness!!!  There are currently 5 names listed on that item.  Hmmm... 5 bed tents seems like it might be overkill, and storing them whilst not in use might prove to be a nightmare...

Some of the items make total sense.  Naomi circled every available outfit for American Girl dolls.  Plus accessories.  (Note:  She does not have an actual American Girl doll.  She has the $17 version from LTD - I call them Faux-merican Girl.  She is blissfully unaware of the bank-busting counterpart.)    The glow-in-the-dark helicopter for Noah?  Absolutely.  A pack of flavored chapsticks for Faith?  Totally.  The waterproof weather radio / flashlight / emergency light for Josh?  Well... I guess...

Heck, there are things that I want in there - not gonna lie.  Woodwick Gingerbread candle?  I burned last year's until it was an empty glass jar.  I will definitely buy many more.  Green Bay Packers nightshirt?  Cute!  Fleece-lined tights?  3 for $9.99 - absolutely! 

But here are some of the items that I might question. 

Picture you are a 7 year old boy.  Looking through a catalog filled with everything you could ever imagine.  And you choose.....

Plush Microfiber Sheet Set!!!! It's like sleeping on a cloud!   Yes.  Circled, with "Noah" written on it.  Indigo colored.  A set of sheets?  Gotta say, I love the practicality of that kid... 

Here's another gem.  You are now a 5 year old little girl.  Obviously, you would choose....

This occupational insulated cup with a straw!!!  In case you can't see it clearly, the words on it say, "I'm a Beautician, Not a Magician!"  Is this somehow aimed at her mother?  Probably not - she is much more direct than using a snarky cup to get her point across...  ("I LOVE it!!!! It's purple!!!!") Well, my kids DO love cups with straws...

Then there are items circled that are sweet...

The wheelchair and crutches set for her doll. Awww, cute that the arthritis girl wants disability accessories!  Then she says, "Look how awesome, mom!  Now I can break her leg and put her in a cast!"  Ummmm...  ???  That's actually really disturbing, honey... Because mommy is picturing...

Naomi - playing with her Faux-merican Girl Doll

So now it is just a matter of going through the catalog and choosing from their wide-selection of wish list items.  Truthfully, I throw every catalog at them that I can to figure out what those crazy little brains of theirs want.  Less than two months before Christmas, 4 of my children will celebrate a birthday.  So if a set of micro-fiber sheets counts as a check mark on my to-do list... then, guess who's getting microfiber sheets!  And some lucky girl is going to get a purple cup with a straw that passive-aggressively insults whomever might be in the room with her! 

Now I'm off to find a different colored ink pen, so I can make my own requests known.  I saw there was a 100 oz wine glass with the words "Mommy's Sippy Cup" on it that is calling my name... Always practical, LTD... always practical...