PJ Party

Today (and today only), Claudia @Mockingbird Hill Cottage is having a PJ Party.

Come & join in, and tell us the story of your favorite flannel pajamas!

[click button to go to party]

The story of my flannel pajamas started a few years back with a showing of "The Polar Express" for the kids at church.  For those of you unfamiliar with the movie:

On Christmas Eve:

"While idealistic, Santa-believing tots dream sweetly of sugar plums or listen intently for the patter of reindeer hooves, one preteen is kept awake by the drip, drip, drip of his own growing cynicism.  We know this because he skeptically looks up "North Pole" in the encyclopedia and maintains a drawer full of clippings exposing Santa as a fraud.  No annual mall photo with St. Nick.  No seasonal letter.  Despite his parents' assertions that the jolly old elf exists, this young man seems a lost cause.  Suddenly a train rumbles to a stop right outside the boy's window.  Wearing pajamas and slippers, he ventures into the snow to see what's going on.  According to the conductor, he is a candidate for The Polar Express, a train that takes children of waning faith on a wild ride to the North Pole where they get to meet the Big Red One in the flesh.  Well... sort of.  Actually, there are no flesh-and-blood actors onscreen in this computer-generated spin on Chris Van Allsburg's classic children's book."

(source)

In keeping with the theme of "wearing pajamas and slippers," those of us who were helping with the event were asked to wear exactly that.  My daughter was also helping out, so I bought flannel reindeer-patterned pajamas for each of us.  They were "Joe Boxers" from Kmart.

Do you love how the Christmas tree behind us has framed my head like a wreath?

Angelic, I know.

After the event, my daughter decided that she wasn't crazy about her pajamas, and so I "inherited" them.  (Score!) Before I knew it, I was a former fleece collector gone flannel, keeping close watch on the after-Christmas sales at a particular store in order to get the jammies I loved at a significantly reduced price.

At this point in time, I am the proud owner of about... [I'm counting] ...five pair of flannel pajamas.  I LOVE them. They are so cozy!  And yes -- as Claudia encouraged us to confess, I DO love to lounge in them.  After everyone leaves in the morning, I can often be found right here at my computer -- in my pj's catching up on e-mail and favorite bloggers' posts!  If I have no place to be on a given day, it's quite possible that I would enjoy more time in my pajamas.  Being in pajamas does not necessarily equal low productivity!  Seriously people.  Shame on anyone for thinking such a thing!  There.  I said it.  (You know all you non-loungers were thinking it!)

Now, I don't answer the door in my pajamas, and I can't say I've ever gardened in them (ahem... Claudia), howEVER, I HAVE been known to wear them late into a Saturday morning, or to don them very early on a Sunday afternoon.  I have DEFINITELY baked in them (oh please!), cleaned house in them, blogged in them, and scrapbooked in them.  And oh yes... watched movies in them too!

Truth be known -- I am a huge chicken when it comes to driving anywhere in them.  So, in extreme unplanned situations (like driving my kids to school at the very last minute) I have been known to throw on my jeans over them and go.  Really?  If I were to just go in my pajamas?  THAT would be the day the sun would rise early, and my car would break down.  Not taking THAT chance!  Although, now that I think of it -- I DID drive to "The Polar Express" in them!  What was I thinking?  Well, my pajamas were brand-spanking-new that day, and even IRONED. I mean -- you understand... don't you?  I was going to CHURCH, people!  Do I iron them now?  Heck no, friends. I'm only one fry short of a full Happy Meal, not TWO.

There.  Now you know all my secrets.

p.s.  You might think that my choice of colorful and/or bold patterns would keep me awake at night.  I am here to report:  NO WORRIES!  ZZZZzzzzzZZzZz.

Thanks for stopping by, and...

SWEET DREAMS

(or house-cleaning... whatever!)