Lauren began, "Santa," then seemed to draw a blank.
I asked, "What do you want for Christmas, Lauren?"
"I don't know," she said, sounding surprised. She cocked her head in my direction, "What do I don't have, and what do I do have?" She paused. "I want something I don't have."
"What don't you have?"
"Nothing." She sat on the couch staring at her twirling ankles in silence.
Ella finished her letter quickly and read it aloud:
"Dear Santa, I want a bell from a rnder (reindeer) and a lipsik (lipstick) that you can eat and a panting (painting) set wth (with) a set uv (of) papr (paper) and a stat (state) map that has a plac (place) that you can clect (collect) qarts (quarters) in. Thank you, Santaclas. Love, Ella Moore"
It was all the inspiration Lauren needed. "Mom," she said, " I want a painting set, and a lipstick I can eat the same as Ella."
"Better put 'Ella Moore'," Ella suggested. "There are a lot of Ellas." I wrote it in.
"And," said Lauren, "I want a lollipop and a sucker."
"Aren't those the same thing?"
"No," she said , as if the notion were ridiculous.
"A lollipop is big and a sucker is small."
I reminded her that she mentioned she wanted a stuffed unicorn.
"Yes!" she beamed. And that rounded out her list.
How long will their lists be this simple? I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
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