And that's BEFORE Shipping.

So last night I asked the girls to start thinking about their lists for Santa, mostly because Santa wants to be a bit more organized than in previous years and get the ol' ball rolling on gathering presents. The girls eagerly agreed and asked where the latest American Girl doll catalog was.
They found it on their own and took markers and circled their requests, complete with their initial next to the item. Jenna also patiently explained for me the complex system of looking for the letter near the object you like, then looking down at the writing for the same letter so you can circle it.
I glanced through the catalog and was a bit startled by the sheer frequency of circles I saw. To prove a point, after they went to bed, I took the catalog and a calculator to see how much it would be if Santa purchased every item.

Grand total: $1,795.00.

I told them this morning, and though they only have a passing understanding of money and how much things cost, both grew wide-eyed and giggled. "Let's to to pare it down to your few favorite things," I suggested.

Never a dull- or inexpensive- moment around here.