Until otherwise notified....

Dear Santa,

I know it's January, but I feel the need to give you plenty of notice for Christmas 2010.
I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I have to tell you our family story. Or my story.

In November, I spent a good week or two going through all the toys in our toy closet that my boys just aren't using anymore. I cleaned them out and I have yet to give them away because that requires some time to organize them so I can properly give them away. At any rate, now three weeks into January I'm feeling like you simply replaced the toys that I just cleaned out. There are so many toys that we now have that no one is playing with.

So I have a request. Could you please stick to the craft department, sporting goods store, books and games store? These are the things that get used at my house. The shiny plastic-y, noisy-flashy (many batteries required) toys are interesting for a whole 10 minutes.

If you come to my house, you'll find my boys....playing games, cutting up cardboard, running around in costume, building things, working puzzles, creating something with stickers, glue, crayons and paint....reading books or painting rocks in the backyard.

So I think you'll understand why I'm requesting you put your little elves to a different line of work.

Ever so Sincerely,
Amanda