xmas gift nostalgia | Pad Patter 11.13

I was spoiled rotten. Not so much because of my parents, but because of my Grandfather. My Grandpa was one of six boys, and always wanted a sister. Then, he grew up and wanted a daughter, but my Dad was an only child. Everyone says that when I was born, my Grandpa transformed overnight from grumpy old curmudgeon to sweet old man.

I remember when I was six, I wanted the Cricket doll. She was like Teddy Ruxpin. You put a cassette in her back, and she told you a story and her mouth moved. She was also almost as big as me. When I was little I had lots of imaginary friends, and I felt like she was an imaginary friend that could come to life. But, she was $100. My Mom explicitly told me NOT to ask Grandpa for the Cricket doll. She thought I was getting spoiled and becoming a bit entitled. She was completely right, because the first thing I did when the Sears catalog came out was go to my Grandpa and flip open to the page with Cricket. Sure enough, on December 24th, Grandma and Grandpa arrived at our house and amongst the packages was a box big enough that I could fit into it. I loved that doll, and I would play the tapes at bedtime, and Cricket would sit at the little table in my room for tea parties. And, after I memorized the tapes, I would "talk" to her, by pausing the tape, and asking her a question, then hitting play to hear her talk back to me. So, despite being a spoiled brat, I really did love and get the play value out of that toy.
 
I had 9 cabbage patch kids as a kid. My mom did the whole pre-order thing & my grandma was obsessed with getting me the latest ones (twins, cornsilk hair, glasses, etc...).

My mom isn't into surprises. I caught her filling my stocking when I was 4, so I knew there was no Santa Claus from then on. She would take me shopping to pick out my presents. One year I picked out a beautiful CD player/tape deck combo boombox. I loved that thing. I bought a New Kids On the Block CD before Christmas & couldn't wait to finally play it Christmas morning.

Funny note, my mom just emailed me this morning to ask if I still wanted the Instant Pot & to order it if I do. Some things never change.
 
A comic book bible (never got)
Fashion plates (got in 1982 from parents)
Weeble Haunted House (got in 1976 from my Grandma)
Cabbage patch doll (got in 1985, My aunt was at Sperrys in a huge crush of people fighting over them. She picked one up, pulled it hard away from several hands and walked confidently to the checkout as others screamed and clawed behind her! She reminds me of Martha Stewart, take no crap, but be graceful abut it)
 
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