James family Tradition!

  One of the traditions that we have as a James family for Christmas Eve is called our "Memories"  each year we are to submitt a page for our memory book.  Each of us has our own book and we distribute copies to everyone of our paper.  We have done this for about 10 years.  With 4 kids, spouses, grandkids and Mom & Dad that has translated into a fairly large book.  One that I am sure we will keep for years to come.  This year I went back and read some of the highs an lows out family has had over those 10 years.  It was funny, sad and well worth the time. 
  Anyways this year our theme was your favorite toy.  I challenge each of you to post a comment of what your favorite was.  Here is my list of favoite toys from my 2009 Memory.

Memory 2009

By Greg James

My Favorite Toys

This year we were asked to share what our favorite toys were growing up. There were a few toys that I can remember as a kid. We had a pretty awesome toy box that was made to look like a box car. I can remember the sand box that Grandpa James built for us and then it later turned into the East side of the house. We had a cool tire sunk in the ground that we could climb on and pee into. I still have lots of baseball cards, but those did not make it on my list of my favorite toys. What did? Well here goes:

#3 Baseball Gloves; I can remember owning 3 different gloves growing up. My first was the small type for peewee and then I graduated to a larger glove that I think I used until I was 14 or 15. After that I “earned” a new Mizuno glove from Uncle Terry. I got to pick it out and I cherished that thing. I would rub it down at least twice a year. I still own that glove to this day.

#2Green Nerf Ball; this toy did not last long, but I enjoyed it. It was squishy and I could throw it in the house. Dad would never catch me because he could not hear it hit things. The dog eventually found it and tore it to pieces, but before that I had my good use from it. I set up my own imaginary games in my room. If the ball hit this target then it was a double or out depending. I kept the stats and had my own league. That was until dad found my stats I had left lying around and he trashed them. I loved “playing” those games.

#1 Strat-o-matic; my number one favorite toy was my strat games. I purchased these games with my own money when I was about 1o years old. I first bought baseball, football and later basketball. After my mission I got the Hockey version. Since then I have purchased more recent cards and I even have baseball for my computer. I loved this game because I could play it solitaire or with my friends. In seventh grade we set up a football league with a bunch of my friends. After school they would come over and play the games. I was the Philadelphia Eagles because Scott Wright wanted the Cowboys. Of course we kept the stats and would “publish” them for everyone to see. I only allowed 7 points in our season and that was the run back of my first kick off. Kevin Olson and I played numerous basketball tournaments. At Inkley’s we played hockey in the break room at lunch. I think I treasured those games more than anything.

It is funny that I know I had numerous more toys growing up. I am sure there are plenty that Mom and Dad suffered over at Christmas time, but the most simple and practical are the ones I remember the most.