from blocks to socks

Christmas.... a time thats filled with joy, innocence, presents, surprises, disappointments and many other mixed feelings, but what does it turn into as you grow older.  I remember the days when Christmas used to be staying up as late as your eyes would let you, hoping to catch a glimpse of a whimsical man in a large velvet suit that had a huge sweet tooth and could make all of your dreams come true.  When your a little kid, the feeling of shooting out of bed like a bullet and to your parents door and knocking to the point your knuckles may bleed, hoping they get up to let you get at your presents is everything you live for.  I mean forget the Christmas stories or going to grandpas for dinner, the one day in the whole month of December that you live for is the twenty-fifth.  When i was a little kid Christmas went something like this for me, decorate the tree, ugh, eat a grandpas ugh, sing songs, ugh, open presents....... JACKPOT!  I used to be pumped when Christmas came knocking on my door, i knew that if i made it through all of the rituals and ancient stories i could get the one thing any kid cares about, the presents. These kind of days are gone, now when Christmas comes around i think of no school, getting to see family, still the presents, and the fun times with family and friends.  The main things that have changed from how I celebrated Christmas as a kid to as a young adult is, there are no more cookies for Santa, no more carrots for Rudolph, and all traces that the large man in a red velvet suit breaking and entering disapear.