(people, this post is not sponsored in any way, shape or form) (of course, if Lego ever wanted to talk sponsorship, I’m here, waiting, stepping on mini figures as we speak)

I just found this note on the playroom floor.

DEr SaNtA (Dear Santa)

I HAV BiN gooD (I have been good)

ALL The Tim (all the time)

CAN I HAV TOYS (can I have toys)

Lego SiDe (Lego City)

PoLieS BeT (Police Boat)

Lego SPAShiPS (Lego Spaceships)

Lego NiNjogo (Lego Ninjago)

Yes, this is a boy learning to write through sounding things out. Not too bad. Could be worse.

It’s a good thing there’s so many boxes of Lego currently hidden in this house that we can’t keep track of them. Literally. We opened a box of stored gifts (we pick up things on sale during the year) and lo, there were two Lego Star Wars boxes Mark had completely forgotten about.

This year, for Christmas and his birthday a week later, Oliver will be getting lots of Lego. (Thankfully he can’t really read my blog yet.)

On a previous list – not a letter to Santa, but a list of things he liked copied out from some toy catalogues – he’d also included the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar. A lovely friend was generous enough to buy this for the boys as a new baby gift. As in, leave the damn baby alone and go play with your Lego. So helpful, I can’t even tell you.

He’d also included a Hex Bug, so I bought him one for his stocking the other day at Chapters (yay for coupons).

Callum keeps looking at the Hot Wheel Wall Tracks sets and saying “why did no one get me this for my birfday?”. Despite his ugly ingratitude, he will be receiving some from my mother.  As well as Duplo and some board games from us, and a few other bits and pieces.

Charlie, poor kid, is getting nothing from us. Other than the essentials of life, of course. This is what happens when you’re 2 months old for Christmas. Better luck next year. Although, being my most well-behaved child recently, he should be presented with buckets of silver and gold. Sorry, kid.

I’m not anywhere near done my shopping this year, except for Oliver. Usually I’m much more organized. I’m not quite sure when it’s going to happen, but I’d like to spend some more time at Chapters, perhaps some at Winners, and I’ll definitely pick the boys up some pajamas from Old Navy like I do every year. I’ve also got to tackle gifts for my own family, sadly primarily consisting of gift cards. I do try to put some actual thought into my gift-giving,  normally, so I will try to improve upon the coldness of a gift card with a few other bits and pieces.

For teacher gifts, I think I’m going to do some charitable giving and something nibbly to go with it, either home-baked or purchased. Okay, let’s get real, I will probably buy it.

What about you? What is Santa/other pretend person/regular human beings bringing for your kids and families this year? I might steal some of your ideas. There are still, what, 17 shopping days left? I don’t quite need to panic yet. Yet.

This was on the back of Oliver’s Santa letter. Poor Santa has one giant foot and an evil looking beard. I hope this doesn’t impair his ability to deliver this Christmas.

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