Let’s be honest: I’m not sure which side of the your master list I fall on this year–naughty or nice? I’ve certainly had my share of indiscretions in 2012. The “great beer pong misadventure” probably tops the list (my apologies to the city of Atlanta for the trail of vomit and clothing I left on your sidewalks). But overall, I think I’m al alright guy. Case in point, I’m about to come clean to you. I’ve been lying to you for over 30 years now, sending you half-truth Christmas lists every December because I was too ashamed to be honest. Here’s an example: Remember when I was 12? I didn’t really want season tickets to the Braves. What I really wanted for Christmas was to see Tiffany Altman naked. But how do you write that in a Christmas letter? That your mom sends?
But I’m mailing my own letters now, and the letters of my children, so I figure it’s time to come clean and get straight to the point. Forget the Smart Wool socks I’ve previously asked for. Ditto World Peace—we’d just fuck it up anyway. Here’s my real Christmas List.
12 Things I Really Want For Christmas
1) I want my kids to eat all of their dinner, just once. Every chicken finger, every macaroni noodle, every sliced grape and green bean. And then, maybe after they clean their plate, they could look at me and say, “Hey Dad, thanks for cooking a delicious yet nutritious meal. We appreciate you.”
2) The next time I go away on a work trip, I want my wife to stop me as I get into the taxi and give me a naughty video that I “shouldn’t watch on the plane.” You know, like in that Samsung phone commercial. What a great wife that lady is! For any female readers out there, your husband wants you to make one of these videos too. Trust me.
3) Six hours of complete silence
4) A butler.
5) A golf cart.
6) I want couples with one kid to stop complaining about how difficult parenthood is, or how tired they are. Really? It’s tough to get one kid to sleep? To bathe one kid? To take one kid to the grocery store? People with mono-babies can suck it. You’re not allowed to talk to me until number two comes around. I don’t go around telling people with quadruplets how difficult raising twins is, now do I?
7) A babysitter that also mows the lawn.
8) A recording contract for Toots and the McGoots.
9) Let’s talk more about this video I want my wife to make me.
10) Two kids that wake up at 6am, look around and say, “let’s go back to bed until 8.” Or maybe one of them says, “I’m not that tired. I think I’ll just get up and vacuum and organize the playroom.”
11) Bombproof immune systems for the kids…or an antibiotic drip. Whichever is more practical for the elves.
12) A built-in vacuum system for the mini-van that sucks up goldfish the second the kids drop them.
Daddy Drinks 
Hilarious! I tried to sell Santa on a “punishment” this year based on my naughty/nice raito (and remarkably similar to request #3 above):
http://definingmotherhood.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/my-naughty-vs-nice-ratio/
Is that a wish list or a prayer for Christmas miracle list? 😉
Hoping the big guy in red gave you everything you asked for!
This is so good and I will keep you away from my sister who makes raising her one as difficult as raising six.
That was an excellent list, most of which I could relate to, except the wife video and maybe
one other item!! Hope you had a great holiday and enjoy some peaceful moments leading up to New Year’s Eve. Drinking heavily will help with that one!
OK, so I’m a female reader, but one who is living in Australia, which means some US ads/cultural trends take a while to reach me. I have zero idea what #2 is all about. Can you enlighten me and still keep it clean? I’m guessing not, but see if you can rise to the challenge.
So, it’s a Samsung phone commercial where the wife and kids are sending the dad off on a work trip. The kids give the dad a video to watch on the plane. The wife gives the dad a video that he “probably shouldn’t watch on the plane.” The naughtiness is only implied, but I’ve never wanted a phone more in my life. Here’s the commercial. Seriously, ladies, you should all do this for your husbands. It’s cheaper than marriage counseling.
I am so on board with this list! Can I say… mine are older (10 and almost 14) and that vacuuming and organizing the playroom thing sounds like the best idea ever! Maybe like… no iPhone privileges unless you let us sleep late and use the morning hours to at least pick up your own rooms. And the antibiotic drip… that’s what I’m talking to the pediatrician about at our next visit.
Very excellent post. Happy New Year to you!
Loved this, especially the part about couples with one kid. I’d also add couples with little kids. I was the same, and you don’t know – two-year-olds seem so hard to handle. Then when they are sixteen, you wish they were two again.
In all fairness to those with only one child… though i have two teenagers, my son was an only for a while and let me tell you… he alone was like having three kids! Thankfully though he has grown up to be a really awesome young man so the work and trauma of it all was worth it 🙂
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