While roaming the aisles of a big-box toy store the other day, I realized that my 18 month old daughter could care less about 99% of the stuff for sale. I know what she wants for Christmas and it’s not a dolly that sits on the toilet or a pink plastic household appliance. Here’s a list of what every toddler really wants to see under the tree:

• A Kleenex box. The biggest one you can find, with the cardboard piece already ripped off the top. Free reign to pull the tissues out when she pleases, shred into tiny pieces and fling around the house.
• A box of Christmas oranges to dump, line up and move in and out of the box to her heart’s content.
• A toothbrush to chew as much as she wants, swirl in the toilet and poke her big brother with.
• Her own roll of tape. She can rip the tape out over and over with no one saying, “Give it back to mommy, please. Give it back to mommy” and prying it out of her tiny hands. A roll of wrapping paper from the dollar store will also go over well.
• A family sized box of rice to spread over every room of the house, just for fun. She already knows how to do this. She learned it last week in Sunday School.
• A Lego set for her to step on and throw against the wall while laughing with glee.
• An extra $10 to put towards the water bill so she can play at the kitchen sink and yell, “water! water!” as she pours, stirs and splashes joyfully.
• An expensive fabric angel decoration to hug and kiss with spaghetti-sauce-stained hands & face.
• An old plate to take to the cement floor in the garage, lift high over her head, and smash to smithereens.

Ah…the perfect Christmas.