Friday, November 21, 2008

Christmas Nostalgia

Yesterday I took my son to see the lights at the zoo and it really set me in the mood for Christmas. See, I have always really loved Christmas!! My goal is to really find great gifts for everyone and add a smile to their face. I want to surprise at least one person with a really great gift!
My fondest childhood memories are of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Christmas Eve we would come home from church, have meatballs (no spaghetti for me, I don't touch the pasta stuff), light the luminaries in the drive way, beg my dad to go out for a drive looking at Christmas lights, tear the last chain my my construction paper Christmas count-down link, and tuck into bed as my Mom read The Night before Christmas. My sister and I would wake-up ridiculously early and open all our presents and spend extended family time wearing new clothes and spending time with our cousins (who we didn't see often.. to catch-up on their lives). We would end the day with a trip to the movies! I was even excited to make the trip out the next day to buy those post-Christmas bargains.

My Mom did such a good job making sure our tree was filled and the room looked amazing. I don't think my Mom has yet to tell us Santa doesn't exist and I don't think I have ever asked!

Working in retail over the past 10-years you would think Christmas would be my LEAST favorite time of year. We are always under-the-gun to get customers their product and tensions are HIGH. For some reason I continue to fight through that anger and enjoy the season.

I am lucky to now have my son. I get to live Christmas through his eyes. I am going to appreciate the fact that he is obsessed with Santa (ho ho) and not what ho ho brings him. The only thing he asked Santa for thus far is cookies and a baby brother. Cookies we can do and (unless we are left some small fortune to afford adoption or insurance uncovered fertility treatments) baby no! When he sees lights or trees he becomes ecstatic! I wish I could go back to that age where the sign of lights or a Christmas tree would make my face light-up with excitement. As parents we are thought to teach or children so many things. In this instance my son is teaching me to really appreciate the little things in life. I will treasure the fact he isn't going crazy for the hard-to-get toy this year. I am thankful he appreciates the little things such as lights or watching Polar Express and can recite every line (even if Mommy can't stand another minute of that movie). I guess I can plan on many more evenings watching the Polar Express (with plenty of spiked eggnog-minus the eggnog!) and try to appreciate the little things in life!

Oh yes...GO Bucks!!!!

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