# What special thing did you give for X-Mass and past memories?



## ship (Dec 29, 2009)

Beyond normal gifts, every year I try to go out of the way for at least one person.

This year it was a toy box for my 10 year old Nephew. My own Uncle took care of me well when I was growing up so it’s a tradition thing for me. I remember my Uncle gave me huge Tonka Toys, Navarone Mountain army men play set as with a Fort Apache playset in years past amongst other things. Spoiled I was, and played with them well. That Tonka truck dump truck was my first skate board in fact before the Nash, - lived on a small hill and I sat in its rear and road it down the hill an entire summer when not using it with the loader to fill it full of dirt from Mom’s garden. Was looking for the Navarone Mountain playset but I think its no longer on the market. What a shame, most store bought army men found today are lame. Kind of light green verses dark green (so as not to offend anyone) and bad in casting quality roughly based off the cheaper Viet Nam style US Army men available in the 70's and no doubt using the same molds given the lack of detail now to the casting. Unless you go to a good hobby shop and pay thru the nose for a small bag. Toys R’ Us don’t even carry normal plastic army men yet Walgreens does - how strange is that? Still have most of my model tanks and many of my army men from the 70's but I’m holding off on giving them away given a say 50/50 chance I might have a boy some day. Plus another sort of Nephew likes to play with them when he visits.

Caused a lot of stress for my Nephew all night long since the toy box package was un-labeled as to who it was for and it was a very large box that’s gotta have something good in it. (The joy of Christmas for adults.) Lots of stories to given him that night as to who it was for. These stories all became of great concern to him as the night went on up until he opened the huge 10 wheel battery operated crane boom arm truck Great Grahm gave him. Than I became worried the crane truck would overshadow the toy box. Shouldn't have worried, as soon as he opened it he forgot all else in being as special as I hoped. Loved the toy box for the rest of the night... packing it up, drawing on it, opening and closing it in general while dressing up like an army man.

I made a 18"x18"x24" combination foot locker/ammo box style toy box with casters, inner tray and lid support. Painted it green and stenciled U.S. Army on the sides. (The rest of the family couldn’t understand how if I was in the Marines, how I would stencil it U.S. Army... My view was that it was for a kid and I’m not attempting to recruit him to a family lineage we have, Army is what he most will understand and be happy with.) Under the lid and tray I painted them with chalk board paint and drew in a Plan A and Plan B tactical level offensive plan with combat unit military symbols. (Had to do a little research into finding a small enough unit level tactical plan, than winged it roughly based off the defense plan for Fox Company Marines in Korea during the Chosin Reservior campaign.) Such plans were quickly erased so he could draw in his own plans. He really enjoyed the chalk board on his toy box almost as much as the ammo can and in general packing it up and taking it out of the box. Filled the toy box with a metal ammo box, (Proximity fuses - got a few of them and others, hopefully some day he will research and learn about what the ammo box stored - stuff I had to memorize. Had one extra ammo can not used for storing drywall screws or my Dad’s leather jacket from the 50's.) Added to it, my old military flash light (he wondered about the use of the lenses for it), one each of my many green T-Shirts, Camouflage Utility Blouse and Marine Corps Utility Cover/hat. (Couldn’t find the case with my various rank or awards so they will wait for next year.) Also a bunch of army men and tanks/jets etc. and I mean well over budget a lot of them. Snap together Army tank models, Lego type offshoot but compatible military toys and a few Hot Wheels like sized military helicopters. Plus chalk, a wood glider and a few other things I forget. 

This all and the night vision goggles someone else gave him. Kid really enjoyed his Christmas.
Kid cleaned up this year amongst other toys he got - really cleaned up this year.

That for me was the point of the holiday.


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## ruinexplorer (Dec 30, 2009)

What a great story. Thanks for sharing. I have my own kids to spoil, and my charity work is coming up in February. It's a benefit to raise money for kids with cancer.


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## Anvilx (Dec 30, 2009)

That is so Awesome! I wish I was your Nephew... except I don't wanna be 10. I usually try to give predominantly hand made gifts but this year I succumbed to the joys of amazon. Yeah no one appreciates the simple things in life like a 10 year old.


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