The List

I have received several requests for our family's Christmas "wish list". Apparently, some people get their Christmas shopping done before the 24th of December ;-). Here are a few ideas for our kids' gifts. Tomorrow I'll post a list for Ben and myself.

I would like to send a great, big thank you to all our family. You are much too generous; our family is abundantly blessed.

(I will update this post as I think of things.)

• Ben and I prefer "gifts of time" over stuff. We would love for our family members to take the kids on special outings. Some suggestions might include: swimming lessons, a special date, tickets to a child-friendly show, a special sleepover, a meal at a restaurant.

• We also favour "fun family experience" gifts. Some examples might include: zoo passes (ours expired in July), science centre passes, hamster land passes (Let's Play), restaurant gift certificates.

• We plan to buy our children a kitchen centre for Christmas. Toy dishes or pretend food would make good gifts. I especially like the Melissa and Doug line of toy food because their products are high-quality and durable. I have seen these toys at Scholar's Choice.
  
  
• Some DVDs our kids might enjoy: Ratatouille, Veggie Tales --- The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's, Veggie Tales --- Moe and the Big Exit. (Update: We now have Little Joe and Moe and the Big Exit.)
  
  
• Clothes are always welcome gifts. Our kids' sizes: Big Brother is size 6, Little Brother is size 4, Little Sister is size 18-24 months. Our children could use new pajamas.
  
  
• Our family loves books. Some favourites include: anything by John Lithgow, anything by Robert Munsch, the I Spy books, the Can You See What I See books. There are many good children's books out there. (Update: I bought the children an I Spy gift set and the Christmas version of Can You See What I See.)
  
  
• Craft supplies make great gifts. We are especially low on paper, glue and tape. The boys love glitter glue.

• The boys might like ice skates or plastic sleds (crazy carpets or disks, easy to store in our tiny garage). The kids could use new mitts and hats, especially Little Sister. Big Brother's coat is blue and black, Little Brother's coat is orange, Little Sister's coat is purple.
  

• The boys may enjoy a magazine subscription. Two good choices are Clubhouse Jr. (from Focus on the Family) and Chirp magazine (Owl's little brother).

• Basic Lego building sets --- the ones with the classic blocks --- would be a hit with our boys.

• Little Sister loves dollies. I favour soft, well-made, fabric dolls without plastic parts.
  

We would prefer not to receive toys that require batteries. Our house is chaotic enough as is!