A Few (and I do mean FEW) Decorations

You would think, for someone my age, with 5 children, who has been married 27 years, I would have more Christmas decorations than you could shake a stick at.  But for some reason, I don't.

Mike and I are polar opposites.  He is a saver and I am a tosser.  I don't keep a lot of things I probably should have kept, but I did keep some.   Also, with our moves, things have disappeared - probably still buried in a random box that has yet to be opened (from our LAST move in 2003) when we bought our house.  I am of the mindset less is more.

This is the main display of our Christmas decor, other than our tree which gets closer every day to totally defying gravity with it's leaning ability.  Just another Christmas miracle.

I also have a new in the box, Dept 56 ceramic Graceland.  I think I bought it about ten years ago.  Maybe next year I will get it out, but I still don't feel confident enough to do so, even though the kids are thirteen.  Two thirds of them are boys.   I also have my grandmother's 1950's ceramic NOEL angel candle holders, but I have no idea where they are, not that I would put those out either.

When I was a little girl, I always wanted a dollhouse.  I had one when I was very young.  I barely remember it.  Borrowed eBay photo - it looked like this.

I distinctly remember some of the pieces - the baby's playpen and crib, the washer and dryer, the kitchen table, and the plastic people unlike the one in this photo because the ones I had were not bendable - they were more of the plastic soldier variety.  I loved that little dollhouse .... until ...

I vividly remember this too.  I stood up to leave my room and felt something strange.  I glanced down at my hand and the blood was gushing.  I had sliced open my thumb on the lovely SHARP edges of the roof of the METAL dollhouse. I remember screams and hysterics and pain. To this day, I still have a long scar as a reminder of this dollhouse.  I think my mom must have put it away after that incident because I don't think I ever played with it again.  I think I was afraid of it.

Safety was not was it is today.  Anyone else remember those metal fans that would slice your hand off if you got near it. We had the fear of death instilled in us and knew it would suck us in and so we never ever went near it. 

After all these any years of wanting a dollhouse, I acquired one recently.  It is small, non-metal, and was bare.  I discovered a few ornaments and decorations that fit - or not - added some lights.  Voila' - I have a dollhouse - a Christmas dollhouse.  My kids laugh at me, but I don't care.  It's nice to bring a little joy into their mundane lives.

I do have a few favorite cherished ornaments. I was glad to find those.

I think one of the joys of Christmas is the memories.  I'm not sure my kids will remember their mother's silly dollhouse, but I hope they always remember how much they are loved.