A box full of oranges
Picking out a christmas tree at the Elves Christmas Forest
The Carpenters Christmas CD
Mom taking FOREVER to put the lights on the tree
The tree always looking amazing because mom took forever
The manger scene tree ornament
A special FHE to put up mom's Nativity scene
Watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
Trips with all of us stuffed in the van to see the lights
Christmas parties at dad's bank
Sugar cookies with icing three inches high
Egg nog in dad's wooden glasses with the faces
Our Christmas eve program that Jenny would always put together
Dancing to "Have a Funky Christmas" by New Kids on the block
A HUGE "It's the Night Before Christmas" book
Listening to the Burl Ives narration of the christmas story
Opening a gift on christmas eve
Sleeping in the same room on christmas eve
Not getting any sleep because we slept in the same room
Pounding on the ceiling to wake mom and dad up on christmas morning
Dying of boredom waiting for them to tell us we could come up
Boxes of cereal in our stockings
Dying of boredom while we waited for our turn to open a gift
Always having a really great christmas
Thanks Mom and Dad for making our childhood so special!!
I'm curious as to what all of you remember about christmas when we were kids.
Do share!!
Pretty much all I ever wanted was video games. I would hold out until the last present waiting for some glimmer of the electronic goodness. Christmas was alaways a little more somber if there were no video games.
ReplyDeleteOne year, before Christmas, Mike discovered that Mom and Dad had bought us an N64. That same year, there was a person who had some serious medical issues and were collecting donations from anyone they could. Mom and Dad suggested that, since we already discovered the gift, it would be nice to return it and donate the funds. Of course we said yes. But we weren't excited about it. I remember waiting all Christmas morning for that secret console Mom and Dad had bought us for our righteous choice. It never came . . . and now that I think of it, I am still not sure I can forgive Mike for making us wait another year . . .
ha ha, good memory. Alisha, you put together a pretty comprehensive list I think. I do remember mike claimming for years that he really HAD seen Santa. That kind of died when he found out santa wasn't real. I remember sleigh bells ringing outside our bedroom window on Christmas eve. I also remember burning the countdown candle every night when we would read a christmas story. I can remember mom collecting odd and interesting trinkets, many of them re-gifted gifts, all year round to give out as christmas gifts to the neighbors. As the youngest, I remember always having the sesame street stocking. . . even in high school. I, too, remember having great Christmases.
ReplyDeleteThanks, mom and dad.
Kudos, Alisha. You hit most of the highs that I remember too. I remember seeing the blinking lights on telephone and electrical poles and thinking that they were Rudolph. Mom and/or Dad used to sneek outside all through the month of December and ring Santa's bells- note to all of you parents that think this is a good idea..it's not.
ReplyDeleteAt least on Christmas Eve, when the kids are all finally tucked into bed. When they hear those bells they'll come screaming out of bed and have to relive the tale over and over and then they won't fall asleep for hours because they are wide awake listening for bells. Just in case you ever wondered.
I loved going down Candy Cane Lane, and loved driving by our house to see how pretty it looked. I loved the smell of the real trees. It was quite an uproar when I was in high school and mom wanted to buy a fake tree. We all threw the biggest fit- it just wouldn't have been the same!
Most recently we love the tradition of the ginger bread houses, it's one of our favorite traditions now (we had almost 80 people come through our house last year making them! Argh!) I loved playing game boards as we all slept in the same room.
Well i'm glad everyone has fond memories of my Christmas craziness. There is one memory that I think only Brian and I had the privilege of partaking in. In one Christmas where only he and I were home, we were setting up the little clay nativity set that mom had. While we were setting it up, Samantha, our beloved lab, may her soul rest in peace, came up and nabbed Joseph in her mouth. We obviously scolded her, but by the time we got anything from her mouth, Joseph had become decapitated, and Sam ran off with Joseph's head in her mouth. Brian and I ran off after her, laughing our heads off that Sam had Joseph's head in her mouth. Juvenile entertainment, to be sure, but very entertaining nonetheless. Merry Christmas to everyone and thanks to mom and dad for all they did to make our Christmases excellent and memorable.
ReplyDeleteI have to add that I love Egg Nog with 7up in it. Hardly anyone ever does that, and it's so WONDERFULLY delicious. I also loved it when dad would surprise everyone and leave special envelopes decorating the tree. Sometimes we would get a gift card or a little bit of money to enjoy the after holiday sales. It was always a nice extra to be able to "shop" as a gift. Thanks dad and mom , for always taking care of us!
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