18 December 2010

Advent Calendar: Christmas Stockings

Did you have one? Where did you hang it? What did you get in it? Do you have any Christmas stockings used by your ancestors?



I don't have any of my ancestors' stockings, but I hope that my homemade cross-stitched stockings will be an heirloom of the future.  Someday, a great grandchild of mine will see these and know they were made with love. 

My first child, Kirsten, was born days before Christmas and I knew I wanted to have Christmas stockings that I could keep for years.  I started making our stockings while I was pregnant for Kirsten.  I didn't finish them until after she was born.  I miscalculated the size of them and they turned out smaller than I thought they would.  More stocking stuffers were left out of the stockings than were put in them. 

After Santa filled the stockings, he would lay them in front of the tree on the floor.  Kirsten and Travis were always allowed to open their stocking stuffers while Mom and Dad got the sleep out of their eyes and grabbed a cup of coffee on Christmas morning.  When everyone was ready and sitting in the living room, we would open gifts.

Through the years Santa would be known to put life saver books, candy cane tube of peanut butter cups, baseball cards, little toys, lip gloss, etc.  More recently Santa has been known to put lottery tickets, Starbuck/fast food gift cards and movie ticket gift certificates.  An occasional pack of baseball cards still finds it way into my son's stocking.

I have a special surprise for the stockings this year.  Shhh!  don't tell anyone.

2 comments:

  1. Can I guess? You made another stocking for your S-I-L? If I'm right or wrong, you don't need to reply. The stockings are lovely.

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  2. Thanks Barbara, I haven't made one yet-I have something else planned for this year.

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