Friday, December 01, 2006

december excitement

For some odd reason I'm excited today. Maybe it's because it's Friday or maybe it's because I'm babysitting Leo tonight or maybe because Christmas is coming. I'm looking forward to exchanging gifts with friends, seeing the nutcracker, making Christmas breakfast, and all of the lights.

I've decided that I'm going to avoid the insanity of shopping. I'm going to do most of it online...and I won't be doing that much anyway. When I really start thinking about Christmas shopping, I wonder how the hell my mother did it. As most of you know, I was an only child for ten years (and sometimes I'm still treated like one). I like to describe my younger self as my mother's living doll. This is not to discredit her parenting by any means, but she indulged me.

While most children ran to their trees to find a few great packages with their name on it. I think all but 6 packages under our Christmas tree were for me. I vivdly remember two Christmas's in particular--1989 and 1991. I'll dedicate today to 1989.

I was 5 yrs. old and a sassy kindergartener. On Christmas morning, 1989, our Christmas tree was filled with gifts. Most of which were mine. My mother put on the Christmas music as I tore into my loot. I received a new bike, a vcr, a race car, dolls, a doll house, stuffed animals, a tea set, a hot pink punk wig, clothes, jammies, shoes, undies, a mug for hot chocolate, new ballet slippers, new leotards, tights, a Minnie Mouse pillow with arms and legs...oh my god the list goes on. So when thinking about this insane/obsurd list, I wonder how my mother had time to enjoy the holiday season. It seemed she was constantly primping me, putting me in ruffled socks and dresses, shopping for me, and baking cakes. Wouldn't she have rather said forget it and just sent out Christmas cards??

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