Making a List and Checking it Twice

Lists. I like lists. Lists are good.

I make them all of the time. I make a list first thing in the morning so that I have a plan for my day. I make lists before I run errands, when I'm planning to bake, and I especially make them when I have shopping to do.

I most definitely like to have lists when I go Christmas shopping.

And yet, for the past three years, I've gone into Christmas Crazy without a list. I ask the agencies who we help for one, but I never get one. I totally and completely understand why -- domestic violence agencies aren't accustomed to getting help. They provide services that we would all rather pretend aren't needed. We don't like to think about the fact that a husband can physically hurt a woman to the point that she is nearly dead and yet she ends up being the one who has to flee in the middle of the night, with small children in tow but none of their belongings.

It's not right, but it happens.

So when the internet says, "Hey! We want to make Christmas better for your kids!" the agencies are just so grateful for the help that they can't imagine being picky about that help.

But this year I have a list. It's not a complete list because such a thing isn't possible. There will be kids who come and go from emergency shelters who we will make sure have a great Christmas, but we can't predict who they will be.

However, it is possible to predict who will likely be in a transitional shelter when Christmas rolls around. These are kids whose mothers (men can be the victims of domestic violence just as much as women can, but it's usually the mothers who end up at shelters) are working towards independence. A little stability is in place and their families are depending on the services that Center for Victims provides. They live in shelters, but it's a bit of a longer-term situation (think weeks instead of days) as they transition into their future.

These are the kids that the staff at Center for Victims learn a little bit about. They know what they like, they know what makes them smile, they know what makes them laugh. And they know what they want for Christmas this year.

Here's a little sample of that list:

* There's a 16-year old girl who wants body wash, lotion, gloves, earmuffs, and a housecoat.

* There's a 7-year old girl who wants princess things.

* There's a 11-year old boy who wants books.

* There's a 5-year old boy who wants anything that will help with learning words.

There are babies, teenagers, toddlers, and tweens. Some of them just want basics while others have dared to dream a little bigger. The thing they all have in common is that they just want to have a great holiday season.

I like lists. Lists are good.

Let's check off some items on that list.

Gobblerito!

GOBBLERITO! GOBBLERITO! GOBBLERITO!

For a month now, I swear that one word has taken over my social media feeds. Here, there, EVERYWHERE, people were talking about going to Mad Mex for a Gobblerito.

You guys, I was starting to feel left out. So I made my own vegetarian version. TAKE THAT, OMNIVORES.

If you aren't from Pittsburgh, you're probably totally lost at this point. Let me back up and explain. Mad Mex is a (not really) Mexican restaurant chain around these parts. Every year they celebrate Thanksgiving by bastardizing a burrito with all of the stuff you usually find stuffed into bowls the day after Thanksgiving. It's the most genius use for leftovers ever.

I didn't wait for leftovers.

You don't have to make it vegetarian. This is me not caring about whether you partake in the animal eating or not, but rather just saying GO MAKE A GOBBLERITO.

They're totally worth the hype.

Gobblerito

Flour tortillas
Turkey or Tofurkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce

This is not much of a recipe, but much more of a concoction. A GENIUS concoction, that is.

1. Start by heating up your tortilla.

2. Throw a handful of turkey or tofurkey pieces on top.

3. Stuffing time.

4. Mashed potatoes and gravy, please. (Mad Mex throws some corn in there, too. Personally, I don't think the corn adds anything. GIVE ME MORE MASHED POTATOES, PLEASE.)

5. If you're brave, throw the cranberries in the burrito. If you're not, start folding that burrito and leave the cranberries for the side. Fold up the bottom.

6. Fold over one side and tuck it in all snug next to the good stuff.

7. Fold the other side over.

8. Throw some other food on your plate to make it look like you are fancy and stuff.

9. Wonder why the pilgrims didn't do it that way in the first place. The Gobblerito is a mighty efficient invention that makes Thanksgiving a hands on event.

As it should be.

This Kid. Man.