dear santa,

i've decided to recant my previous post requesting fun and frivolous material things for christmas. instead, i'd like to make a list of things i'm grateful for, and focus on how lucky i am:

my kids. i'm still astonished at the fact that i get to pluralize that term now, even though the bean is already two months old. she and the kid have brought me so much joy, and i can't imagine life without them.

the hub. having celebrated our wan-niversary a few days ago, i'm reminded of how much love we share and how great we are for each other. i bring my own brand of silliness, while he pulls me back down to reality when i'm particularly crazy. plus, he has endless patience, which is a good thing if you're going to live with me. ha!

my family. as much as they can aggravate the hell out of me at times, i don't know what i'd do if i didn't have them around.

the hub's family. they're such wonderful people, and i'm truly blessed with the most loving and thoughtful ILs that ever were.

my home. even though it was a royal pain in the ass moving (especially while nine months pregnant), and knowing that we'll have to move again in '08, it's comfy, cozy, and is definitely "home". i'm just a little sad that it's the bean's first home, and she'll never remember it. oh, well.

my friends. i've got the most fabulous support system made up of some really awesome women. they're sweet, smart, funny, beautiful, and we can disagree on stuff from uggs to politics and still love each other no matter what.

my clients! although my little invitation business isn't exactly on its way to being included in the fortune 500, my first year has been terrific, and i've really enjoyed working with my clients.

my dog. even though she's dumb as a post and pisses on the floor even with two separate puppy pads out, i love her to death.

my CAR. i so love my car. she's fun to drive, holds all my crap (much to the dismay of the hub), and is one of the safest vehicles around - this is quite important, for obvious reasons. and she's pretty, too ;)

i really hope i haven't forgotten anything. oh! i'm grateful for my fabulous (albeit drug-free) 4-hour labor with the bean. and thanks for soapnet. ooh! and buttcrack-of-dawn "saved by the bell" marathons on tbs. um, and the spice girls reunion.

i better stop now. look for cookies on the mantel, because the kid and the bean are still hoping you'll stop by the house. hope you aren't sick of chocolate chip.

love,
wan-nabe

p.s. should you find that it wouldn't be christmas without granting at least one (or all, hell, i'm not picky) of my materialistic wishes, that would be cool too. i sure won't toss any wrapped packages with my name on 'em out the window. ya dig?