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The Victoria

GAZETTE

         "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads."

 

         There's only one thing better than being a child at Christmas time, and that is being with a child at Christmas time.

         Already this season of 2012, over Thanksgiving, as a matter of fact, I watched Addie, Gunnar, Sophie, and Mia page through my toy catalogs and, at my request, circle what they would like Grandma Sue to give them for Christmas. 

         Although my sweet grandchildren don't realize it in their precious childhoods, it is the studying of the pages and the circling of the toys that exhibit the pure enjoyment of dreaming, wishing, anticipating.  It is a luxury of childhood when visions of sugarplums dance in their heads and they run to the window at new-fallen snow.

 

         "The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below."

 

         I noticed how the personality of each child shined through in the way they made their choices from the toy catalog. 

         Adorable Addie, who is 9, went through the pages slowly, carefully, thoughtfully.  She sat in the living room alone with the catalog for a while, then I found her at the hearth of the fireplace, and when she brought the catalog back to me, the honey bunny explained about the two items she circled.

         "One is just the Barbie doll clothes on page 28," said Addie, "and not the Barbie dolls.  I've got enough of them.  Here on page 21, I circled the Disney Fairies Fashion Dolls with their sets of clothes.  I don't need the doll house backpack for them."

 

         "So up on the housetop the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas too."

 

         Gallant Gunnar, age 7, went through the catalog in less than a couple minutes with his pen making sweeping strokes.  He brought it back to me and said, "Here you go, Grandma," and then walked away.

         I checked it out and, just as his mother predicted, he circled everything on page 32 and wrote, "The hole page."  It included an Electronic Machine Gun, a SWAT Team Playset, Lever Pump Action Rifles, Over and Under Shotguns.

         Gunnar also circled everything on page 45 and wrote, "The hole page."  It included the Classic Horse with Pickup Truck and Trailer Playset, the Classic Horse Family Set, the Country Life Farm Set, the Country Life Ranch Playset, the Wild Hunting Playset with House, the Cattle Ranch Playset with Livestock and Barn, the Constellation Horse Figurine, the War Horse Joey with Book, and Classic Quarter Horse Mare.

         On page 31 he circled the Overlord Foam Dart Gun, but across the top he also wrote, "The hole page."  It included Electronic Pistols, Toy Pistol with Scope, Big Buck Hunter Video Game, Cougar Foam Dart Gun, and Range Foam Dart Gun.

         On page 30 he wrote, "The hole page."  It included the Vigilon Toy Gun, Vortex Toy Gun, Rampage Toy Gun, Retaliator Toy Gun, and the Hailfire Toy Gun.

 

         "And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof."

 

         Sweet Sophia, age 4, sat at my kitchen counter, and informed me as she began turning pages, "I don't have a catalog at my home."  When Sophie came to pages 22 and 23, she stopped and never went any further despite the 50 pages that could have been explored for more treasures.  Nearly everything on her two-page spread was pink and pretty.  She eyed every item and then picked her favorites --  a Baby Doll Foldable High Chair, a Doll Carriage, and a Baby Deluxe Set with Baby Doll and Hand Held Carrier.  Sophie put a star by the Doll Carriage.  It looked very similar to the one I gave the sweetheart last year.  The Baby Doll was also familiar.

 

         "A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack."

 

         Melt-My-Heart Mia, age 2, sat on the couch in my living room all by herself and pretended she was a big girl.  Mia used her pen to scribble over a couple items on a couple pages, but was more interested in playing with the familiar things in Grandma Sue's toybox and riding the scooter around my fireplace.

         And now you know what each of my grandchildren is like.  They are wonderful, kind, good kids with good hearts and, as I always say, "They were somebody before they were born."  In other words, God created them as they are and gave them to us for safekeeping, loving, teaching, nurturing.  Addie, Gunnar, Sophie, and Mia each had a personality all their own before they came into our lives.  God knew what He was doing and God doesn't make mistakes.

December 2012

In-Town Auto Repair  952-443-2868

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