Christmas season is now upon us! My 6yr. old son Nicolas and 4 yr. old daughter Aria couldn’t whip out their toy list fast enough for Santa. It was a mere five years ago that my son was satisfied with wrapping paper instead of toys because they made crinkly noises as he crumbled them in his tiny hands. Aria soon came along and wanted nothing more than to put everything in her mouth and drool. Ahh, the good ol’ days. For the last three weeks, we have found ourselves in a flurry preparing for the upcoming events and holidays. Sentimentality runs deep in my husband Eric, especially around Christmas time. He adores the idea of decorations on the tree, holiday music, good food, gift exchanges and get-togethers with family and friends. He used to spend many a night to find that one perfect gift for me, until I asked that he spend the money on the kids instead. Don’t get me wrong! I love receiving gifts. But as I get older I want fewer things because it means less clutter, which means less clean-up. All I want for Christmas is more sleep and a chance to read a book without being interrupted. My husband wants the same thing. And a drum set. (I may also want a supply of earplugs too. Is that too much to ask?) As for Nicolas, he might soon be singing the tune “All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth” instead of the songs he has been practicing for our upcoming Christmas concert at our church. And my sweet little princess Aria wants anything that has a princess theme, of course. The colors pink and purple are mandatory, no exceptions. We’re hoping Santa will grant us our wishes this Christmas. But besides that, I hope Aria and Nicolas realize how fortunate they are to be able to enjoy the little things, big things and everything else in between this holiday season. Merry Christmas everyone!