Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Ghosts of Christmas Past

This will be my 41st Christmas on this earth. That's a lot of Christmases. I have gone from asking Santa for a hamster to a Kindle. I hope the Kindle lasts longer. My very first Christmas I was only a few months old, but there are pictures of me in a little red "Santa" onezie in my baby carrier thing. They would place me there and I would marvel at the pretty lights and shiny tinsel, in between scanning the room for my favorite beings (other than mom, of course) like big brother and the family dog. Not a whole lot has changed there either. I can still be found this time of year sitting by the tree and staring at the shininess of it all, with dogs close by.

I did get my hamster one year. A Teddy Bear Hamster...which I named "Teddy". I think this was my 5th Christmas. He came in one of those Habitrail things, with a tube leading up to a skyline apartment and a nifty running wheel on the main floor. Teddy didn't last long, as one day he got out of his cage (those little "clips" that held the lid on, weren't very easy for a five year old to secure properly) and in a frantic attempt to catch him again, I grabbed him and squeezed a little too tight...then he bit my thumb. I can still remember my horror at the blood dripping from my thumb. Sadly, when I squeezed too tight I injured him pretty badly and my dad had to put him down. Sad, yes I know. I still feel bad about that and have never owned another hamster again and am thanking God that my children have never expressed interest in the little rodents.


I also remember the year I got my "Baby Chrissy" doll. You could make her hair short or long all by a little string on her back. What was cool about her was that she was big enough that I could dig into mom's cedar chest and pull out some of the baby clothes she still had of mine and put them on the doll. That doll wore my
"dedication" gown for a long time...until I got tired of it on her and started making the cat wear it.

One year I got "Pete" the ventriloquist dummy. He came with his own red case and everything. I had visions of becoming this really good ventriloquist. Right up until I saw the movie "Magic" about the homicidal dummy. Then I put him deep in my closet and piled a bunch of crap on top of him so he couldn't "get out". I eventually sold him for 5 bucks at a garage sale. Sorry Pete.


That is what pretty much comes to mind when I think of my past Christmases. Well, except for some of the Christmas decor items my parents had laying around. That is another post though. So thank you Teddy (RIP), Chrissy and Pete for the memories.....

5 comments:

foxy said...

I'll have you know that i looooooooved reading this! :) It definitely made me think back to the ghosts of my Christmas Pasts.

Mama Drama Times Two said...

OMG - when I was like 8 or 9 I had one of those "beautiful Chrissy" dolls whose long, thick red hair "grew" out of a hole on the top of her head..she had a dial on her back....Now you have me taking a trip down memory lane when I should be wrapping presents on the down low before the kids get home from school.

Shayne said...

That was too funny! (Except for Teddy, of course. I had a hamster in Kindergarten too. Mine "ran away"---except that meant escaped and died in the cellar.)

Anonymous said...

I want Dr Dre Beats from Santa this year...Probably not going to happen...

Happy Christmas!

Mamarazzi said...

oh i might have nightmares after seeing the cover of that ventriloquist movie...yikers.

i had that doll with the hair that grew out of the head...she was awesome!

thanks for stopping by my blog tonight. i always do my best to follow people who comment back to their blogs to leave a little love!

I am especially glad you chose the queen for the day post to comment on...thanks for that!