Memories of the J.C. Penny Catalog...

Around this time, every year you could find the brother and myself
stretched out on out brown shag carpet, joyusly flipping through the beloved
J.C. Penny Catolog.
For Hours!
It was thick, shiny and arrived in our greedy hands only once a year.
We would immediatly flip to the back to the toys.

TOYS!
They had everything, from bikes to games.
They even divided the book into girl toys and boy toys.
The brother and I would drool over all of the things we wanted.
We would then bust out a pen or magic marker and circle our favs.
It was the best.

Then that magical morning of December 25th would arrive and we would have a fantastic
display of toys spilling out from under the tree in our livingroom.(One time my parents oddly decided to put the tree in the basement-but that is another story)
Several of the items were from the fantabulos JC Penny Catolog.

I believed in Santa until 4th grade when Andy N. & Clay W. told me that he didn't exist.
I was sad but I had heard the rumors that he was fake for a while so it wasn't a total shock.
But my parents went above and beyond with the Christmas thing, which was fab and made for great memories!
We had everything from a real tree, to lights, to carols playing on the stereo, stockings hung, an over abundance of -oranges, Christmas candy including candy canes, christmas cookies, and Mr. Magoos Christmas!!!!

As an adult I wondered how my parents bought the presents, hid them, & then snuck in the gifts on Christmas Eve, because I was up before the sun on Christmas morning and I couldn't sleep the night before.
Plus I was super secretive about my list to Santa.
I would write it out and seal it in an envelope and then we would take it downtown to the main Post Office where they had a cool mailbox that went straight to the North Pole.
How did my parents find out what I wanted.

Then I was told the secret.
That JC Penny Catolog was planted by my mother!
She would just go and by the things we circled!
Smart Cookie the mother is!

I have learned from the best and when it is time for my childrens Christmas-
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?
I haven't seen a JC Penny catalog in over 15 years!
Do they even make them?!
I think I have time to work on a scheme!