All I Want For Christmas

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I am entering this holiday season with three little girls, a 7 year old, 3 year old and 6 month old. This means that it has been a sleep deprived, emotional couple of months in my household. My wife and I are focusing on making Christmas fun for the girls in lieu of giving gifts to each other. We prefer family experiences instead of gifts. All that being said, there are a couple of things that I would love for Christmas nonetheless:

  1. To sleep for more than 4 consecutive hours. Between the baby waking up, my wife waking up, occasionally our 3 year old running around her room above us (what is she doing at 2:00 AM?), my average of 6 hours a night is typically interrupted three times. I can’t remember the last time I slept for more than 4 hours straight.
  2. For my kids to learn how to blow their noses. I mean, when do kids learn this skill? They would rather just wipe their noses on their sleeves and deny that they need a tissue instead of attempt. And when I do convince them to try, it results in a lot of blowing air out of their mouths and nothing out of their noses.
  3. To go to the bathroom without being interrupted. When our oldest daughter was 3 years old, she came into the bathroom while I was in there…again. When I asked her for privacy, she responded with, “If you don’t want me to come in, lock the door.” I couldn’t argue with that logic and I have locked the door ever since. It still doesn’t stop them from jiggling the knob though and asking how long I will be.
  4. To run more outside, and between the hours of 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM. I was never a treadmill runner, but since having kids, I have become one since the only time I get to run is typically at 4:30 in the morning or after 10:00 at night. I miss the sun, wind, and trails.
  5. To own a pair of pants without stains and worn knees. I find myself on my knees a lot more these days…playing horsey, wrestling, or just being a human jungle gym. My pants take a heavy beating. I also love going to work and then realizing that there is a stain on them from where one of my daughters hugged me that morning with dirty hands. My definition of acceptable professional appearance has lowered a couple of notches since having kids.
  6. For my kids to not insist that the tag on every piece of clothing they own needs to be cut off or a tantrum will ensue. I am not sure how the tag on the tutu that you are wearing over leggings over a diaper is bothering you, but yes, let me cut it off.
  7. To clean the floors and have them remain that way longer than one meal. This one is partly my wife’s and my fault since we tend to serve a lot of quinoa and orzo. Two foods that easily find their way to the floor. Mealtime is the only time I wished we had a dog instead of a picky cat. Sometimes, I don’t even know why I vacuum.
  8. To magically know ahead of time if my kids will eat their meals or not. That way I can portion mine out appropriately with how much of their meals I will be having. Typically, I have a full portion only to find myself finishing theirs because I just hate wasting food. This is promptly followed by me regretting that I ate too much….again.

That’s it, just eight little things.  I would even settle for two or a third of them (that’s 2.64 for you math nerds).  So forget my two front teeth, Santa. I’ll take one of the above instead.

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Michael Pistiolas
Michael Pistiolas is a father to three little princesses: a bossy 7 year-old with a voracious appetite for books, a comical 3 year-old with a stubborn streak, and an adorable 2 month old with a full head of hair. Along with his superhero wife of 10 years, and a philosophy of “love thy neighbor”, they walk through life, homeschooling, and parenthood in general. During the week, Michael works as a Landscape Architect with The Kleingers Group where he designs outdoor spaces for campuses, schools, parks, and local communities. He is a longtime runner with aspirations to one day qualify for the Boston Marathon; however, currently settles for treadmill time in the early mornings or late evenings when the household is asleep. Additionally, Michael has a passion for all things fantasy and sci-fi, and spends his free time reading and playing tabletop games. He has already successfully converted his eldest child to a Star Wars fan and eagerly teaches her any game she is willing to play with him. His favorite color is blue, his favorite food is spanikopita, and his favorite Disney princess is Belle.