Like most other kids, Christmas was always the holiday to look forward to. Over the years there were many things that seemed to reoccur and made the holiday special. These are just a few of the most memorable things I remember from Christmas's past. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

1. The Christmas TV specials! I always had to watch Charlie Brown, Rudolph and The Grinch. Frosty, The Little Drummer Boy and It's a Wonderful Life are also notable. This was before cable, VCR's, DVD's and DVR's, so if you missed a special you wouldn't get to see it until the next year.

2. Getting a real tree. My mom would take us to the local grocery store to find a real tree. My sister and I always got to decorate the tree. In those days icicles were big so the tree had to be covered with a good layer of shiny silver icicles.

3. In later years my grandma decided it was easier and cheaper to wrap everything in tin foil. It became a family joke but always reminds me of Christmas. She always wanted to collect the foil and reuse it the next year.

4. Eating cream peas and poofy marshmallow salad. The only time we got to eat these treats was Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also always had a good selection of hot rolls.

5. Always having one big unwrapped gift from Santa. That gift was the first thing you saw and made the entire morning. We were never allowed to open anything on Christmas Eve.

Labels: Christmas, Family, Memories

I've been trying to remember what the coolest toys were that I received as a kid in the 70's. Here's a list of the ones I can remember...

1. Hot Wheels and MatchBox cars
2. The orange Hot Wheels track with dual loops - (I used to string these pieces of track all over my room and would create these huge, long roller coasters that we would send marbles down.)
3. G.I. Joes with the fuzzy beard
4. Figure 8 electric racing car set
5. Rock'em Sock'em Robots
6. HO size electric train set
7. Spirograph
8. Aurora Karate Men - these guys were cool.
9. Plastic green army men
10. Green can of Slime

Labels: 70's, Christmas, Memories

Our happy home has been invaded by a Christmas elf. This small elf has been keeping tabs on two very worried little girls. You see, this so called "Elf on the Shelf", sits high atop the room and watches every move the girls make.

He's a magic elf and reports back to Santa Claus every night. If the girls have been good, he tells Santa and returns every night only to be found in a different spot every morning. The elf came with a book that explains the entire process. According to the book the girls are to name the elf and are never supposed to touch him. If touched by a child, he could lose his powers.

Not touching a brand new, shiny red elf when you've just discovered him is almost more than a five and six year old can stand. Especially a five year old. After hearing the rules and getting over the shock that he is not to be touched, the girls went about naming their personal elf. After much discussion his name is now Tiny Kriddles.

The routine goes something like this... the girls go to bed knowing where Tiny Kriddles is, they wake up in the morning full of wonderment. Our five year old is usually the first to hop out of bed and begin the adventure of finding Tiny Kriddles. She'll search high and low looking under things and checking every room.

Once she spots Tiny she goes into full cackle mode and starts pointing at him just like a bird dog. She'll laugh and scream and holler for the closest person to come running to see just where she has found Tiny. All in all this has been fun for the girls and has kept them in check just a smidge more than they might have been.

I believe Hallmark might be the spot to get your very own Elf on the Shelf. If nothing else, it sure is entertaining watching the girls search for Tiny Kriddles every morning.

Learn more. Happy Holidays!

Labels: Christmas, Daughters, Fun Events, funny moment

The live trees come from Wisconsin and make perfect Christmas trees. We strap the tree on top of the SUV and take it home. The girls can hardly wait to decorate the tree and ask ten thousand times when we can drag the decorations out of the attic.

Tonight we get to drag the totes out of the attic and will decorate the tree while watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

Happy Holidays!

Labels: Christmas, Daughters, Memories, Photo

To help keep you in the holiday spirit I have tracked down dates and times of the most popular Holiday Classics. Mark your calendars and enjoy! I will most likely add to this list as we get closer to Christmas.

12/1 7:30 ABC How The Grinch Stole Christmas - Cartoon
12/2 7:00 ABC Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Animated
12/3 7:00 CBS Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Animated
...... 7:00 & 9:00 TNT A Christmas Story - Movie
12/4 7:00 DISN The Polar Express - Movie Animation
12/5 7:00 ABC How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Movie
12/6 7:00 KAUT Miracle on 34th Street - Movie
12/7 7:00 AMC Prancer - Movie
12/8 7:00 ABC A Charlie Brown Christmas - Cartoon
12/12 7:00 CBS Frosty The Snowman - Cartoon

Labels: Christmas, Memories