Wednesday, December 2, 2009

What'cha Want for Christmas?

I posed this question to my DS last month. Yup, I wanted to know what he wanted for Christmas...and he knows I will go out of my way to...get my shopping done before Thanksgiving (and here you thought I'd say to get whatever he wants... um...no)

Although he looked at each store Toy Book and pointed to everything, there were a few things here and there that stood out each time. He's dying for a Star Wars Ty Fighter (if I spelled that right) with a Darth Vader and a General Greivous.

But asking him what he wanted brought back memories. Yup. I'm getting old, I'm about to use the terms "when I was a kid"...geesh.

Anyway, when I was his age, we didn't ask for much. Remember that big recession in the early '80's? Yup, I remember it. While everyone else asked for Cabbage Patch Kids, I wanted a Barbie and was thrilled that I got a new one. Christmas was lean that year and a bunch more after that.

So yeah, I tend to go all-out at Christmas. Call it the desire to never have my child HAVE to think of Christmas as the time when Mommy and Daddy cry because they "just don't have enough". That's how my folks explained it to us when we got a Chapstick and an orange in our Christmas sock.

Am I complaining? Heck no. The lean years taught me that Christmas isn't an extravaganza. It's a time to show those you love that you love them and to give.

Is my DS spoiled? Not more than any other kid, but he is one of the few who looks forward to Toys for Tots shopping. He LOVES to go to the store and pick out toys for "the boys and girls who don't have a Santa". His words. He also LOVES to shop for the APL. No joke. We go and buy kitty litter, kitten and cat food, and a big bag of dog food and deliver it to the local shelter. He calls it "playing Santa for the puppies and kitties". But then again, he always asks if we can take a few of the puppies and kitties home. Um... with a house full (2 dogs and 2 cats... there's not much more room at the inn...).

But then again, my DS has to get there first.

Toodles.

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