Thursday, November 12, 2009

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

Some of the best things about the Christmas season are the smells that go with it. At home it was that earthly cinnamon orange smell of Mom's concoctions in the kitchen. I remember the smell of a new doll, the smell of a new Bible, the smell of the Turkey in the oven, the smell of the pizza in the oven on Christmas Eve. Christmas also comes with the smell of the ocean to me. When I got to be a teenager- my friend JoAnn and I would go to the beach on Christmas day. There are so many smells that run through my head this time of the year.

This next one is probably not the "normal" smell. But how many of your remember what the Sears catalog and JC Penney catalog smelled like when you got them? I remember waiting daily at the post office box in anticipation of getting that years "Dream Book". With quivering fingers I would look page by page at all of the treasures that were out there. I would have to look through it all first, dream a little about it, and then finally make a list of the things that I was interested in. The list did not come easy. It was always done in pencil, erased, and sometimes even warranted a new piece of paper just to make sure that everything could be ready correctly by the adults in my life.

I was reminded of this ritual as my girls made their "Christmas List" on Tuesday night. They had to send their list to their aunt and uncle in the Dominican Republic, their aunt and uncle in Charlotte, and my parents in St. Louis. It was giggling, scribbling, and erasing for all.

This past year my sister-in-law made the girls knitted monkeys. The girls still sleep with them nightly. This year they each requested a second monkey. Here is what they requested:

Emma:



Seanna:



I finally reminded them that they were over due on their bed time. They then took their American Doll catalog and begin circling in different colors their dream list for Mom and Dad. While they were doing this I could still feel that anticipation that I felt as a child - circling items like crazy and praying that you would get at least one of them.

How about you? Did you love the Dream Books at Christmas time? What is your favorite smell of the season? What memories are you going to create this year with your family?

3 comments:

Kathy McElhaney said...

Oh yeah - circling in the Dream Books was the best! With the ever present reminders of "We can't afford a lot, don't get your hopes up..." from Mom and Dad. Then always getting more than I hoped for on Christmas morning.

Mom was the queen of baking - I think our house smelled the most like sugar!!

amberle said...

I do remember the books! My favorite memory was my first christmas as an adopted kid. I woke up and ate breakfast and sat with my adopted mom by the fire and listened to her tell me about her life and memories. It's going on my 11th Christmas now, and I still look forward to waking up in Dixie and lighting the fire with the air conditioner on, cause it just isn't Christmas without the fire!

Bonnie Jean said...

You just make me smile, Girl! I didn't circle dream books, but I do remember all the smells!!!