StockingStuffers and RollerSkates

As the holiday of greatest gift giving speedily approaches, I turn my attention, not to Christmas presents, but rather Christmas pasts...Golly, I crack myself up!  We all have those fond childhood memories of a favorite Christmas spent, or gift received.  I  share just a few of mine. Stockings were a huge deal in my childhood home.  Brother, Sister and I would go out to the living room to find our GIGANTIC stockings overflowing with little surprises.  I think Santa did this so Mom and Dad could catch a few more minutes of sleep as we were allowed to open these before they got up. We would take turns pulling out each individual item, allowing ample time for oohing and aahing.  It was never anything more than candies, nuts or maybe even socks, but it was my favorite part of Christmas morning.  The best stocking stuffer was the ubiquitous 1970's, every girl has to have one in her back pocket, comes in a million flavors, "only Bonne Bell's got 'em" Lip Smackers! The guys are all saying, "What is she talking about?"  But the chicks remember 'em. One whiff of that fake grapey smell and I am ten years old again.  Ah, memories...

A favorite, every-other-year cuz you outgrow them, gift I remember well was roller skates. I grew up in California, so we could actually use this gift christmas morning.  The year I got my first tennis shoe skates was memorable as well.  I looked awesome skating to school with those peeking out from the bottom of my Dittos.  I was rad!  I relished the 1980's gifts of sweaters that were 3 sizes too big, gaudy plastic jewelry & leg warmers, and the new fangled musical storage device,the cassette tape, along with the boom box or Walkman to play them! 

Fast forward to my first Christmas with Hunky Hubby.  (Well, our first married Christmas...the year we were dating at Christmas, he went skiing with some chick named Heather, but that is a post for another day!)  We were poor college students and we would be heading to my parents house for Christmas so HH said we should not do a tree. I really wanted one.  While I was in class one day, Hubby managed to get a little Charlie Brown tree for free from the cubscouts who had given up on selling the sad sapling.  He dragged it to our little apartment and borrowed lights from a neighbor and covered it with Christmas ribbon tied in little bows.  I knew he was a keeper from the beginning!  I have the added bonus of being married to a Christmas baby.  I try to be careful to make sure that his birthday is special and doesn't just blend into the next week.  That includes not wrapping his birthday presents in Christmas paper turned inside out!  

We of course have our own traditions now with our own little family.  A favorite of everyone's is putting out the Nativity scene. 

When our oldest (girl, 16) was about 4, we painted ceramic Nativity pieces. She was in charge of the animals.  All went well until she got tired of brown donkeys, brown camels and brown cows.  We, therefore, have a purple cow with black spots and a gold head in our Nativity scene.  Yes, it is one of a kind...just like this daughter!

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas...