The Elusive Gifties
Every year at this time, I start thinking about what it was like when the kids were little and I was on a QUEST to find the one thing they wanted more than anything else.
Usually, I was lucky. I did really well in the 'Oh boy, Santa brought me ______ fill in blank here! One year though, I was thwarted. And heart broken.
When the dd was three years old, she wanted for some unknown reason, this one particular baby doll. She wasn't very cute, and she was like that Stretch Armstrong doll, as in filled with some weird substance that made her cushy and strange feeling. Anyway, Santa found her at a store in plenty of time for Christmas. BUT on Christmas Eve, disaster struck!
The kids were sleeping as my folks, the dh and I got busy setting out Christmas goodies for morning. I unwrapped the special baby and discovered she'd sprung a leak at the back of her neck. It was like that movie Invaders From Mars. She had goo leaking in a steady stream and this was way too ugly to give to dd. I freaked. And the dh being a fabulous human being, reacted quickly. We had a half hour to get to Toys R Us before it closed at midnight. We raced there, searched frantically and couldn't find a replacement dolly. All we had was the mutant. Dh convinced me that Sarah would be so pleased with everything else she had, she wouldn't miss Brain Dead Baby.
Christmas morning....a sea of wrapping paper, lots of squeals and plenty of joy to be found. I relaxed. Figured all would be well. Until....Sarah came up to me and said, "Santa brought me everything I wanted EXCEPT my baby!"
Knife to the heart. I staggered, crying around the kitchen. Desperate, I jumped in the car, ran to the closest (and only one open,) drug store and bought a baby doll. Not the goo filled one she'd wanted, but a baby. Got her home and wrapped and dh put her in the garage. A half hour later, he brings in the baby, tells Sarah that Santa must have left it in the garage by mistake.
Big eyes went wider as she opened the paper and found the baby she'd been craving. Didn't seem to matter that this one didn't have the goo running through her plastic veins. All that mattered to Sarah was that Santa hadn't forgotten. And that she had a baby to cuddle. She carried Baby around for a week, never letting her out of her sight.
And I can still remember the jolt of pleasure we'd found in making a dream come true.......
posted by Maureen Child @ 11:24 AM
6 Comments:
At 12:27 PM,
sdpenson said…
That is such a lovely family story.
It reminds us of the times we sometimes forget.
When Dana was a little girl she was in love with the Cabbage Patch Dolls.
She wanted it so badly that I remember standing in line,outside for 2 1/2 hours at a store ..Two Guys...on a very,very cold damp Huntington Beach day.
When she got her "baby" she was in 7th heaven. As a matter of fact, she still has her "nursery" of Cabbage Patch Dolls to this very day...knows their names and birthdays..
Thank you for a "warm" memory that you brought back to me and a smile.
Sandy
At 1:38 PM,
Anonymous said…
I REMEMBER WHEN YOUR DAD AND I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU WERE A LITTLE GIRL. YOU WANTED A PATTY PLAY PAL DOLL, SHE WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND AROUND 3 FEET TALL AND IF YOU HELD HER HAND SHE WOULD WALK WITH YOU. WE MUST HAVE GONE TO 10 OR 15 STORES TO FIND ONE AND FINALLY FOUND ONE, WE WERE SO RELIEVED WE ALMOST DID HAND STANDS.
I REMEMBER THE CHRISTMAS YOU MENTION AND HOW DISAPPOINTED OUR SARAH WAS AND HOW HAPPY YOU AND DH
MADE HER. THESE ARE WONDERFUL THINGS TO REMEMBER AS LONG AS THEY HAVE A HAPPY ENDING.
LOVE,
MOM
At 2:59 PM,
Dana Diamond said…
That got me in the gut.
This year we're on a quest for a plush Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Up until December 5th (when we saw Santa) it was a red electric Mustang...which is in stock aplenty!
But that Rudolph is nowhere to be found.
At this point I'm thinking about sewing one.
Thanks for the sweet story.
:) d
At 5:02 PM,
Erica Orloff said…
Maureen:
What a great story--and sure brings up so many memories. What I love most is that children's problems can usually be solved, when they are little, with something so simple. A doll, a band-aid, a new matchbox car.
E
At 5:43 PM,
Kate Carlisle said…
Very sweet!! And you guys are incredible to go running out on Christmas eve to make sure your little darling wasn't disappointed.
And hey, Dana! I wish you lots of luck finding the perfect Rudolph!
At 6:02 PM,
Maureen Child said…
Hey Mom....I LOVED my Patty Play Pal! I remember her very well.. so thanks!
Oh Dana baby, may the Force be with you! There's gotta be a Rudolph somewhere out there!!
Erica, I know exactly what you mean. I think that's why I hit the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots so much at Christmas. HATE the thought of any child being disappointed.
Kate, there's just nothing like a wild Christmas Eve Dash! Hey!! You came out of Deadline Hell just for me!!
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