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An amalagam of Christmas memories
Christmas Eve was at my mother's parents house on Home Park Blvd. My family was always the first there because we lived in the same town as Gram and Grandpa. Aunt Lovey and her son would arrive around 4:30 or so, and Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Woody would always be the last to get there, since they had the longest drive. Mother and we kids would go to get Aunt Blanche and Uncle Freddy, and sometimes Gram's sisters and their husbands would come down from Wisconsin.
The tree was in the corner of the living room, with the Tv on one side and the fireplace on the other. By the time the whole family had arrived, presents would be spilling out onto the middle of the floor. There would be so many lights on the tree we didn't need lamps. And there would always be a fire for popcorn after the presents were opened.
Dinner was in the dinning room, with the table spread out so long the last three people sitting at it were actually in the living room. My sister, brother, cousin and i were the only children. The table was covered with food. And everybody enjoyed the meal and the conversation. i was usually the first one finished sincei never got to eat all the turkey and fixin's and stuff because i would always be so excited my stomach would be upset. As i remember it, my Christmas dinner was always a bowl of jello and some cool tea. It wasn't so bad, but i also remember how my cousin and sister would tease me about how good their meal was.
After dinner, while the women did the dishes, the men and kids, meaning Grandpa, Daddy, Uncles, and the four of us kids would get bundled up and go out to look at the Christmas lights. There was a strict order to it, Grandpa and Uncle Freddy always were in the front, Grandpa driving his station wagon. My brother, because he was the baby, got to sit in the front with them. Daddy and Uncle Woody were in the back seat, with my sister in the middle. Daddy and Uncle Woody would take turns holding her on their laps so she could see out the windows. My cousin and i got to sit in the back. Which was fine with us, we got the panoramic view from the side windows and the back door window.
After seeing the Christmas lights we would get back to the house. The women would be sitting around the table drinking coffee. Once all of us were un-booted, -coated, -mittened, and -hatted, we would gather in the front room. Grandma or Aunt Jeanette would play the piano and we would sing Christmas carols while we kids delivered the presents. The rule was that we opened one gift at a time starting with the youngest, always my brother.
i don't remember ever seeing Grandpa open his last present, when i was younger because i would always be asleep, but when i got into school, it was because Daddy and i would go to midnight mass together. Just him and me. He made me feel so special. The church was always so beautifully decorated with pointsetia and evergreens, and candles. i have a memory of me staring gaped- mouthed at all the richness and beauty of it.
After mass, we would go home. i don't remember how Mother and my sister and brother got there, but i know we never went back to Grandpa's to pick them up. Brother and sister would already be in bed. Mother and Daddy would tuck me in, i'm sure i was asleep before they left the bedroom. My next conscious memory would be waking up Christmas morning and rushing downstairs with sister and brother to see what Santa had left. i have never figured out how Mother and Daddy always managed to be downstairs before us.
Christmas breakfast was stolen, a braided German bread, with butter and orange juice and tea to drink. Sister and i felt everso grown up drinking tea with Mother. The whole family would go to Christmas mass and then over to Daddy's mother's house for another full day of family. Daddy had 11 sisters and brothers, so my brother and sister and i had lots of kids to play with that day.
The tree was in the corner of the living room, with the Tv on one side and the fireplace on the other. By the time the whole family had arrived, presents would be spilling out onto the middle of the floor. There would be so many lights on the tree we didn't need lamps. And there would always be a fire for popcorn after the presents were opened.
Dinner was in the dinning room, with the table spread out so long the last three people sitting at it were actually in the living room. My sister, brother, cousin and i were the only children. The table was covered with food. And everybody enjoyed the meal and the conversation. i was usually the first one finished sincei never got to eat all the turkey and fixin's and stuff because i would always be so excited my stomach would be upset. As i remember it, my Christmas dinner was always a bowl of jello and some cool tea. It wasn't so bad, but i also remember how my cousin and sister would tease me about how good their meal was.
After dinner, while the women did the dishes, the men and kids, meaning Grandpa, Daddy, Uncles, and the four of us kids would get bundled up and go out to look at the Christmas lights. There was a strict order to it, Grandpa and Uncle Freddy always were in the front, Grandpa driving his station wagon. My brother, because he was the baby, got to sit in the front with them. Daddy and Uncle Woody were in the back seat, with my sister in the middle. Daddy and Uncle Woody would take turns holding her on their laps so she could see out the windows. My cousin and i got to sit in the back. Which was fine with us, we got the panoramic view from the side windows and the back door window.
After seeing the Christmas lights we would get back to the house. The women would be sitting around the table drinking coffee. Once all of us were un-booted, -coated, -mittened, and -hatted, we would gather in the front room. Grandma or Aunt Jeanette would play the piano and we would sing Christmas carols while we kids delivered the presents. The rule was that we opened one gift at a time starting with the youngest, always my brother.
i don't remember ever seeing Grandpa open his last present, when i was younger because i would always be asleep, but when i got into school, it was because Daddy and i would go to midnight mass together. Just him and me. He made me feel so special. The church was always so beautifully decorated with pointsetia and evergreens, and candles. i have a memory of me staring gaped- mouthed at all the richness and beauty of it.
After mass, we would go home. i don't remember how Mother and my sister and brother got there, but i know we never went back to Grandpa's to pick them up. Brother and sister would already be in bed. Mother and Daddy would tuck me in, i'm sure i was asleep before they left the bedroom. My next conscious memory would be waking up Christmas morning and rushing downstairs with sister and brother to see what Santa had left. i have never figured out how Mother and Daddy always managed to be downstairs before us.
Christmas breakfast was stolen, a braided German bread, with butter and orange juice and tea to drink. Sister and i felt everso grown up drinking tea with Mother. The whole family would go to Christmas mass and then over to Daddy's mother's house for another full day of family. Daddy had 11 sisters and brothers, so my brother and sister and i had lots of kids to play with that day.