Christmas Time in the City

I think it is official now but I listened to Christmas music today so it must be Christmas time. The older I get the harder it has been to get really excited about Christmas. When the boys were little it was easy just to sit back and enjoy it all through their eyes. As they got older, read that as teenagers, they lost some of their enthusiasm for the holiday. The grand kids made it more fun again but with only Carter here in town it is just not quite like it was when the boys were younger.

I remember when they were both not in school yet and every present was the best thing they had ever gotten. So were the boxes they came in. We had just gotten back from Germany and were living in Seattle with Carol's parents and that first Christmas back was big. Grandpa Ben, Carol's dad, woke the boys up at around 0530. All of Carol's family was there, Carol is number 5 of 8 kids, and all their wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends and just friends were there. It was huge. The boys were so excited. A couple of days later one of Carol's really good friends came by with a present for the boys. I remember Bobby, 4 years old at the time, ripping the wrapping paper off in a frenzy and saying, "Aunt Nancy it is just what I always wanted", before it was even totally unwrapped. Now that is the kind of enthusiasm I wish I could feel these days. 

I think the last Christmas that we did really well with the boys was the year Bobby was 14 or 15. We got him a drum kit. His eyes were as big as I ever remembered them being when he saw it sitting there in front of the tree. I can't remember just what we got John but he was really happy too. 

We have over the years parred down who we buy gifts for. With as many members of Carol's family as there are the logistics were just becoming overwhelming. Now we buy things for the kids. If you are under 19 you will get a gift. Once we had grandchildren of our own it became more fun again to go a little overboard with gifts but that may change this year with me being retired and the economy being what it is. 

So I will put the Christmas songs on the stereo and work really hard to have a Holly Jolly Christmas while I enjoy Christmas Time in the City with all those Silver Bells.