A friend of mine posed a question on Facebook today, "What gift did you most want for Christmas as a kid?" Several things came to mind, and then a childhood story or two started rattling around in my noggin. Visions of telescopes danced in her head.
Our Christmas planning (Jerry, Katy and mine) began in late August when the Christmas Wish Books from J.C. Penny and Sears would arrive. Do you remember those things?? They were awesome! Huge catalogs full off fun. We would each grab a pen, curl up on the couch or the big rocker together, sweat dripping off of us, and mark away to our hearts content. For at least an hour my mother would have three little cherubs who were not arguing, tattling, or tormenting each other. Then at other times we would each grab a book to sit with for some alone thinking time. I loved, and so looked forward to those wish books arriving.
The problem with this system of my mother's was that two of her children began with the same letter of the alphabet, "J". Even if I wrote the entire "Joanie", something that I had my heart set on would inevitably end up under the tree with my brother's name on it. Imagine it. Sneaking down the stairs at three a.m. and seeing that telescope you are longing for under the tree, then creeping back upstairs to dream of it until the allowed Christmas morning wake up time (somewhere around seven) only to come down again and find YOUR BROTHERS name attached to it. Another year it was a keyboard, for my drum playing brother........ oh Mom. ( eye roll) I asked for a Chinese baby doll for years, and finally got it when I was to old to enjoy it, and probably wasn't even marking the catalog anymore, but I still remember her sweet face. One year I even asked for, and got, a unicycle! I never could make that thing work, but I remember trying and trying down in the basement.
The one gift that I remember longing for, LONNNNGING for (teenage dramatic affect), was a pink sweatshirt from Maurice's. It had something about Paris on it, and was expensive. I hoped and waited for it all through December, and was so excited to find it under the tree. I wore it that New Year's eve, and that damn David ( who was probably five) ruined it with some orange silly string that would not come off, period.
Now that I'm older I'm much more excited to give, and am more into meaningful things, like the wreath my sister in law made me last Christmas. However, I still have a list for Santa! :)
Our Christmas planning (Jerry, Katy and mine) began in late August when the Christmas Wish Books from J.C. Penny and Sears would arrive. Do you remember those things?? They were awesome! Huge catalogs full off fun. We would each grab a pen, curl up on the couch or the big rocker together, sweat dripping off of us, and mark away to our hearts content. For at least an hour my mother would have three little cherubs who were not arguing, tattling, or tormenting each other. Then at other times we would each grab a book to sit with for some alone thinking time. I loved, and so looked forward to those wish books arriving.
The problem with this system of my mother's was that two of her children began with the same letter of the alphabet, "J". Even if I wrote the entire "Joanie", something that I had my heart set on would inevitably end up under the tree with my brother's name on it. Imagine it. Sneaking down the stairs at three a.m. and seeing that telescope you are longing for under the tree, then creeping back upstairs to dream of it until the allowed Christmas morning wake up time (somewhere around seven) only to come down again and find YOUR BROTHERS name attached to it. Another year it was a keyboard, for my drum playing brother........ oh Mom. ( eye roll) I asked for a Chinese baby doll for years, and finally got it when I was to old to enjoy it, and probably wasn't even marking the catalog anymore, but I still remember her sweet face. One year I even asked for, and got, a unicycle! I never could make that thing work, but I remember trying and trying down in the basement.
The one gift that I remember longing for, LONNNNGING for (teenage dramatic affect), was a pink sweatshirt from Maurice's. It had something about Paris on it, and was expensive. I hoped and waited for it all through December, and was so excited to find it under the tree. I wore it that New Year's eve, and that damn David ( who was probably five) ruined it with some orange silly string that would not come off, period.
Now that I'm older I'm much more excited to give, and am more into meaningful things, like the wreath my sister in law made me last Christmas. However, I still have a list for Santa! :)
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