Memories

So I read a nice article in Reader's Digest about writing your memoirs. Which is not the same as your biography. Memoirs are memories, they are nice and short. So today I'm writing 2 Christmas Memories. One sad-ish, one funny.


My husband had been dead 6 months. It was the first Christmas without him. Thanks to life insurance, (which I am a HUGE advocate of), money wasn't an issue. Buying presents for kids all by myself was.

The boys were easy. Anything Star Wars related and they were happy. I had them done in a microsecond. Oriahna was a different issue.

I could not find a present for her. She had dolls, she had toys, she had clothes...how hard could it be to buy a present for a 2 year old girl! My husband had done all the shopping for kids before. He was such a big kid himself, he knew exactly what to get to make them excited on Christmas morning.

So here I was wandering around Toys R Us with a cart full of Star Wars toys, tears in my eyes, going up and down the aisles wondering what to buy for her. I said a little prayer even, I think it was probably the silliest request he's ever gotten..."Money's not the problem, Heavenly Father, I AM! What should I get her???"

Then I rounded a corner and there it was...like a television show when the new product comes out on the spinning stage with the spotlight on it. Well, it wasn't that shiny, but it felt like it to me. The Barbie Big Wheel.

I hugged the box and put it in my cart. I know its a dumb story...but I still get emotional thinking about it.

AND NOW...

(Same year actually)

The night before Christmas we were getting ready. I let the kids pick out what cookies we were going to give Santa. They chose Grasshoppers. You know, those nasty chocolate cookies with mint filling. ICK!

So I laid them out with the milk. They gave Santa a huge helping, so he left a few.

The next morning the kids were excited, playing with their new toys...the Barbie Big Wheel zooming around the house. Jefferson found Santa's leftovers and said, "Mom, can I have a cookie."

I shuddered, "You can have all of those cookies that you want!" They hadn't actually tried them yet, they had just bought them for Santa.

So Jefferson took a bite. Stopped. The look on his face was PRICELESS! I giggled and said, "Go ahead and spit it out." I watched him run off to the bathroom and didn't think much of it until later.

Later was when his brother came running out of the bathroom shouting, "MOM! MOM! SANTA PUKED IN THE TUB!"

Sure enough, Jefferson had spit out the Grasshopper into the tub. Jaylan had gone in and found it, and assumed that Santa had just had too many cookies for one night.

Getting to know you - Christmas style

So Dad sent me this little quizlet, and I thought it was FUN so I posted it here too! Love you see yours, or send me an email.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both! Depends on what I have on hand.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial - just bought a new one this year

3. When do you put up the tree? When I feel like it.

4. When do you take the tree down? See #3

5. Do you like eggnog? Yup! Unfortunately, Dell won't let me drink the loaded kind....

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Whitney Doll

7. Hardest person to buy for? Dad

8. Easiest person to buy for? Everyone Else

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Ashamedly, no...hoping to remedy that this weekend with a huge one to put on the lawn with a spotlight.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? HA! You are hilarious!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A gripe card...yeah, guess who was the first person I used it on...

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation? Scrooged. Hawaiian cruise.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chineese food on Christmas Eve

16. Lights on the tree? Pre lit tree now! YAHOO

17. Favorite Christmas song? Go tell it on the Mountain

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Mostly home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, yes I can

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Usually a star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? New PJs Christmas Eve, the rest in the morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Radio stations that won't play songs about Christ...HELLO!!!!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Blue and Silver tree, which we are doing this year!

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? For the scene in Mars Attacks to come true and watch Congress blow up on TV

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Don't care! I loves you all anyways!