You don’t need the ‘hottest toy’ to have the best holiday memory

By Tami Althoff Comments 0
Published: October 14, 2008

NORMAN — I vividly remember my favorite Christmas. It was 1980, and I was in fourth grade at Sunset Elementary School in Edmond. I had asked for several specific things that year, including a rabbit fur jacket, tennis shoe roller skates and Billy Joel’s "Glass Houses” album (yes, album, as in vinyl).

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When I woke up Christmas morning and began unwrapping gifts, I was surprised to find everything I had asked for under the tree. I can remember the feeling of complete satisfaction I had that afternoon as I rolled up and down the street in my new roller skates, wearing my fur jacket. I didn’t want for a thing.

As fleeting as that feeling was, it still serves as a great memory — the kind of memory I want to create for my own son. This weekend, I realized I might be going a little overboard with that notion.

I decided months ago to put a tricycle and red wagon on his Christmas list, but I needed more. I feverishly flipped through the sales inserts in Sunday’s newspaper.

Then I saw it — the ad for Elmo Live, a new robotic Elmo toy. My son loves Elmo, or "Melmo,” as he says. Above the photo of the red, furry Sesame Street character were the words "Hottest Christmas Gift of the Year.” I had to have it.

I began planning how I was going to take off work this week to stand in line to buy the toy. Supplies were limited, the ad said, and there was a limit of one per customer.

I called my mom to see if she could pick it up for me. No luck. What was I going to do? By the time I could get to the store, it would be sold out and Christmas would be ruined.

Then I remembered what my mom had said during our phone conversation: "Do you think he will really notice if he doesn’t get it?” I realized she was probably right. After all, he’s not even 2 years old.

Still, I was certain my son would ask for the Elmo himself if he could. I handed him the advertisement and told him to point to what he wanted. He took the piece of paper, wadded it into a ball and threw it across the room.

Maybe he doesn’t need the "hottest gift of the year” after all.