This week Shane asked, What is your most-memorable childhood Christmas?
I can't remember any details about any ONE Christmas, my Mom and Dad went out of their way to make every Christmas memorable. I love the family traditions they started, and do them now with my own family.
Every year, a few weeks before Christmas, the Elf would start coming, once a week or more, and leave us small gifts at the door step. Every Christmas Eve, while at my Grandma's Christmas party, the Elf would leave us our final gift, the Christmas PJ's. It drove us crazy that we couldn't figure out who the Elf was. I didn't find out for sure who it was until after I was married.
Once we got the Elf present open, and the ONE gift we could open on Christmas Eve, my Mom would barricade all three of us kids, and one or two dogs, into one bedroom, literally lock us in. I think it was usually mine, the one right across the hall from hers, she would make it so that when mine opened, hers slammed shut. Me and my Brother would try just about everything to get out :)
We were allowed to come out of the room any time after 6:00 am. Most of the time we were wide awake waiting for the alarm clock to hit 6:00 am. Then once everyone was ready we could go to the tree, where ever my Mom decided to put it that year, upstairs or down, and start opening presents. My parents always told us we had a $100 limit, but now as a parent, I know that was not true. $100 does not go far, and we always had a ton.
Then at around 6:30 am, we would call my Grandma A. and wake her up. Her and my Grandpa would show up for breakfast about 30 mins later with their hot coffee, joking about how it was so early she didn't have time to do her hair, so she looked like Wanda the Witch. I can still remember the smell of their coffee, even though they have given it up for hot coco. My Dad always made a BIG Christmas breakfast with all the trimmings. Ry, it was Yum...lol!
Then it was, and still is, on to the Christmas Day movie. We saw my Dad's side of the family on Christmas Eve, and my Mom's side of the family lived to far away, so we went to see a movie. My kids already have picked out the movie they want to see with Grandpa and Grandma on Christmas Day - Marley and Me, about a dog a lot like Fisher, our lab. Thank goodness he grew out of it.
The hardest thing for me, as an adult, was when my Grandma stopped having the Christmas Eve party. Don't get me wrong-Brent and Christi, you do a wonderful job at it! But, it's still not the same. It was around the time most of us kids had gotten married, my Uncle Doug had passed way and her health started going down hill, it became to much for her. I still miss it to this day :( It was the best!
Now that your yawning, if you kept reading, the point I wanted to make was - I loved every Christmas growing up! Thank you Dad and Mom! I love you and thank you for all the wonderful memories. I hope Joel and I can make the same wonderful memories for our kids that you did for me. My kids love having the Elf, the Christmas Eve party, Christmas Breakfast, and of course, the Christmas Day movie!
