10 on Tuesday: All I Wanted for Christmas

An official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred Shot Range Model Air Rifle. If you know Ralphie – and “A Christmas Story” – then you know that is what Ralphie dreamed of – pined for – salivated over – for Christmas.

What were the gifts you dreamed of for Christmas? I got to thinking, and thought I’d devote today’s “10 on Tuesday” to some of the gifts that I really, really wanted for Christmas. These gifts would change my life - if only Santa would bring them and put them under my Christmas tree. They were MY Red Ryder BB Gun. So - in no particular order:

1. Red Leather Go-Go Boots. Yeah, I’m dating myself here. I was a child of the 60’s – and after watching all of the cool go-go dancers on “Laugh In”, I just knew that a pair of red leather go-go boots would make all my dreams come true. I’d be the popular girl – the cool girl – the “hip” girl. I did get the boots – and I think I slept in them for 3 months straight. Those things never came off my feet. They were one of the best gifts ever for an 8-year old girl - I was "cool". I thought so, at least.

2. The Partridge Family Album. Again – I’m dating myself here – but I grew up watching “The Partridge Family” on television, and I was in love with the oh-so-sexy David Cassidy. All I wanted for Christmas was the album – I don’t think I had a record player to play it on – but Santa came through that year. I got the album AND a little portable record player. I was in heaven.

3. A Lite Brite. Growing up, I had some talents – but art wasn’t one of them. Drawing a stick figure was challenging. The Lite Brite allowed the “artist” to create beautiful pictures by punching those little plastic pegs in the pre-numbered circles – a sort of “paint-by-number” with pegs. I loved my Lite Brite. It got a lot of use…until a bratty new baby sister joined our family and Mom deemed the plastic pegs a choking hazard and they had to go. Little siblings can sure ruin things, huh?

4. A Cinderella watch. I am not sure why it had to be Cinderella – but that’s what I wanted. Did I ever get it? Well, it took 30+ years – but my hubby fulfilled my dreams one Christmas and actually got me a Cinderella watch.

5. A desk. Weird, huh? Well – as a little girl, I dreamed of being a teacher. And a teacher needs a desk. I got that little wooden desk when I was in 2nd grade – and I had that desk until last month when we donated it to the family affected by the fire. That was a great desk – got me through high school, college – even graduate school. I was sad to see it go.

6. A dollhouse. When I was in high school, I wanted a NICE, wooden, fancy dollhouse – the type where you could put your OWN wallpaper on the walls – and have real electricity running through. Santa came through again – I had fun with that dollhouse for years – until it became a victim of a basement flood we had one year. A few years ago, I bought the Barbie Townhouse at a garage sale, supposedly for my daughter – but Hubby teases me – he knows who the dollhouse is REALLY for. ☺

7. A new car. Okay – this is a case where I wanted something really, really bad – a car when I was 16 – and I didn’t get it. Nope – Santa didn’t come through for me on that one – but I think I survived. I don’t think my life was ruined by not getting a car from my parents. It just made me more determined to get a good job and buy my own.

8. A leather coat. I was married, with two little boys, and feeling very un-sexy. A brown leather bomber jacket would change all that – I just knew it. I will never forget when my hubby and son went shopping that year – and my 5-year old son came home and said, in all seriousness, “Dad says I’m not supposed to tell you that we bought you a new coat. So I’m not tellin’. “ Loved it.

9. A vacation. Okay, this was just a few years ago. Hubby and I have 7 kids – and life was crazy. I needed to get away – heck, just for a day, if needed – and Santa brought me a snowmobile trip to Yellowstone. That was awesome – even if I did come home with a broken arm. It was worth it.

10. My family together for Christmas. I know – it sounds hokey – but now, all that makes me happy at Christmas is when we have our annual party and everyone comes together. It’s the best gift ever – the gift of presence.

What did you wish for at Christmas? Was their a particular gift that you had to have? Did Santa bring it?