Christmas Memories

Seems that whenever family gathers, memories are shared, and this holiday was no exception. One evening, Jana, Rob and I started talking about children writing Christmas lists and I pulled out a variety of Christmas projects from my girls' school days. The pictures were masterpieces, of course, and the writing was priceless. We laughed till we cried over some of them and others were just plain sweet---like the letter to Santa where Jana asked for her 3rd grade teacher's son to be able to come home for Christmas so that it would make her happy. (I got all choked up just trying to read it)

On Christmas afternoon, some of the "Jamars" came over for dinner. After dinner, we sat around catching up on each other's lives and then later, as we sat in the living room after we ate, we began reminiscing about Christmas traditions in the 60's and before. The two grandmothers remembered having the rare treat of oranges, apples and nuts at Christmas time, often in their stockings. We went around the room and asked everyone to tell a memory about a childhood Christmas present:

me - I remember wishing for a bride doll that was being advertised on TV that year. I don't remember her name, but I remember that the commercial claimed that if you pushed a button on her back, she would throw her bouquet. Apparently she was pretty expensive and my parents warned me that I might not get her, but when we entered the living room on Christmas morning, there was a beautiful bride doll under the tree. Upon closer examination, I discovered that while it wasn't the one advertised, my mother had dressed my Barbie in the prettiest, handmade bridal outfit, complete with a tiny bouquet.

Callie - remembers getting a small accordion and making paper ones for all her dolls. Then she lined them all up against a cabinet and had a concert.

Jordan - didn't have a specific special toy, but remembers the year his older sister got a Nintendo that he thought was way cool.

Dan - said his favorite Christmas gift as a child was a yellow Tonka truck-probably a dump truck that he loved driving on the edge of his bed.

Tim - got a BB gun when he was about 7-8 years old.

Kay - remembers the year that her big sister got a beautiful princess doll, complete with beautiful dress and tiara. She couldn't wait to open her own present and have such a beautiful doll, too, but instead, her doll wore glasses and had on a little green, checked apron. While she might could have been "sold" on how special she was, instead her sister immediately proclaimed "I got a princess and you got a maid!". Kay was crushed and didn't want the doll after that.

Jana - remembers the year that she and Callie and their cousin, T.R. all got roller blades for Christmas. She said that they had so much fun skating on the driveway and sidewalk that afternoon.

Rob - said that he most remembers the year he got a go-cart from his mother's boyfriend. Sam had made it himself and had painted Rob's name on the side. However, he spelled the last name incorrectly!