Where He's Going To Get A Snowman I'll Never Know

Yes, outside it's warm, palm trees are swaying all around, and we're still in short sleeves, but inside the house, at least, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We've got the tree up, the carols on the stereo, the cookies in the oven, and the kids have finally taken crayons to paper for their annual Letters to Santa Claus.

Finn actually went through about four or five drafts before he finally got around to telling the big guy what toys he'd like him to deliver. His inital focus was more on the touchy-feeling stuff, setting a good emotional foundation, perhaps, to remind Santa of Finn's pole position on the Good List. Here are two of those first drafts.

Shea's list, however, was quick and deliberate and as it sprang fully formed from her little strawberry mouth and I had to hurry along with my pen just to capture it verbatim.