Favorite Holiday Toy

We were talking at work yesterday about one woman's quest to find the toy her daughter wanted for Christmas. Apparently her heart is set on a Crayola Crayon Maker. It took her a while, but the woman finally found one. And it made me start thinking about how every year, there's some toy or other that is the craze for that year. Tickle Me Elmo. Cabbage Patch Kids. Beanie Babies. Furby. Tamagotchi. I tried to think back to the toys that were the craze when I was a kid. And I can't remember a single toy that I was so desperate to have. My number 0ne favorite Christmas gift that I will remember forever is the home-made Barbie clothes my mother made for my sister and me. Yes, MADE. Every day while we were at school, she sewed little tiny clothes for Barbie and Ken on her sewing machine. Imagine that. Coming in second is the box of school supplies. Not supplies for me to actually use at school. Things for me to use to PLAY school. Do kids even play school anymore? In the box was paper, pencils, crayons, glue, etc. including a teacher's bell for the desk! My sister and I would take turns being teacher, while our dolls and stuffed animals were the students. Both these gifts were great because they forced us to use our imagination to play. We'd spend hours setting up scenarios with Barbie and Ken. Most of the time, half the neighborhood was in our backyard with all our Barbies and accessories, playing all afternoon. Almost everything we did involved using our imaginations. Playing house, school and "church". (smooshed bread cut into a circle made great communion hosts). Riding bikes, rollerskating, ice-skating. No cell phones or hand-held video games in sight. (Yes, I certainly did see three ten-year olds on their bikes, each talking into a cell phone). I hope kids today get the chance to use their imaginations. They don't even know what they're missing out on.