December 6, 2007

The Stockings were hung by the chimney with care..

I love Christmas Stockings.

When I was a little kid (way back when) we lived in a big old house in the city with honest to goodness fire places. They were not ornamental.. they were for heat! And I really remember stocking hung by the fire place in the living room where our tree resided. There weren't always lots of packages under the tree, but a Christmas Stocking was a sure thing.

And I always knew what would be in the stocking. It was always filled with Oranges and Apples and Nuts. Now, that may sound disappointing to todays kids, but to me it was grand. My parents were always very thrifty and fresh fruit was considered a luxury and was rarely seen unless it was grown in our yard. So a bag full of sweet oranges and tart apples and buttery nuts was heaven to me.

After the excitement of ripping open packages (and being a bit curious about the choices of family members) we breakfasted on our stockings. Daddy would come in with the hammer and a wooden block and start cracking nuts. Mama would get a bowl and knife and help us peel our fruit. Since our Christmas started at the break of daylight, I was usually sent back for a nap, to wake up to a marvoulous Christmas dinner.

While my memories may be different than yours, I am sure they are just as delightful. It doesn't take a lot of money to make a memorable holiday for your children. It takes a lot of love, and a little time and effort. I won't deny money helps, but it is not the central ingredient.

I hope you take the time to look around Kidoodles by Kim and find some memorable gifts or stocking stuffers there. To make your gifts even more memorable, Kim personalizes many of the gifts for free. Be sure to look at all the Personalized Baby Gifts and Personalized Kids Gifts.