Coming to a Close
Wow! December 2, 2006 already. Hard to believe that this year is almost over. When I think that it is 2006 that sounds so Sci-Fi. Remember 2001 Space Odyssey. Well we have survived and surpassed that. Anyway I was asked to partake in a panel discussion on Monday night (coming not past). The topic is supposed to be the funniest Christmas ever. There are a couple of ones that come to mind but I would have to say the one that comes to mind was about 23 years ago.
As Christmas would approach I would take great pride in wrapping presents and putting them under the tree as I would get them. As the children grew older and could read the names on the packages they would take delight in seeing how many they had. They would make stacks, organize them into sections according to who the recipient was (not going to say which child would spearhead this one but if you recognize yourself I love ya). Now I am the type of person who will wrap every little thing by itself. Some stacks were quite large but it is the thought that counts RIGHT! Try to explain that to a child while they see their siblings stack growing larger and theirs not. Try to keep the financial aspects out of it as well (Yours stack is smaller because your presents cost more - his is just full of little junkie things. Sure they understand.) Anyway one year I decided that I had missed the boat on teaching thankfulness and gratitude. There had been too much emphasis on how big the stack was in past years so this particular year I decided I would wrap the gifts and not put names on them. I would put numbers on them and I would have the master list. Awesome idea. It was gonna be great.
We loaded up the car and drove to Alexandria to celebrate Christmas with my family. We had everything we needed, the food I was assigned to make, clothes for church, numbered gifts and off we went. Christmas eve came and time to distribute the gifts. (I come from a family of five and there were 18 grandchildren plus the patriarchs of the clan - quite a crowd - 35 plus people).Only when the first gift was handed out did I realize I could not find my master list. At first I panicked. What was I gonna do? Then I really thought I could remember what was in the package - after all I was the one who wrapped them. No problem.
Santa held up a gift with no name - Just a number. I said "Oh that is for Papa Joe." Whew - what a relief I remembered. Imagine Papa Joe's confusion when he got a Strawberry Shortcake doll. Not to be outdone by a 6 year old little girl getting a size large printed house coat with a matching pair of slippers, and a 9 year old boy getting an Old Spice Shaving brush complete with the mug of shaving soap. Confusion was the name of the game now.
The only thing to do was to give everyone a gift to open, then I had to take a look at it and take it from the person that opened it and give it to the person for whom it was intended. I am sure there was a lesson here somewhere but after all these years the one I learned is that the presents do not go under the tree until Christmas Eve.
How about you guys out there? Any funny or memorable stories.
em
As Christmas would approach I would take great pride in wrapping presents and putting them under the tree as I would get them. As the children grew older and could read the names on the packages they would take delight in seeing how many they had. They would make stacks, organize them into sections according to who the recipient was (not going to say which child would spearhead this one but if you recognize yourself I love ya). Now I am the type of person who will wrap every little thing by itself. Some stacks were quite large but it is the thought that counts RIGHT! Try to explain that to a child while they see their siblings stack growing larger and theirs not. Try to keep the financial aspects out of it as well (Yours stack is smaller because your presents cost more - his is just full of little junkie things. Sure they understand.) Anyway one year I decided that I had missed the boat on teaching thankfulness and gratitude. There had been too much emphasis on how big the stack was in past years so this particular year I decided I would wrap the gifts and not put names on them. I would put numbers on them and I would have the master list. Awesome idea. It was gonna be great.
We loaded up the car and drove to Alexandria to celebrate Christmas with my family. We had everything we needed, the food I was assigned to make, clothes for church, numbered gifts and off we went. Christmas eve came and time to distribute the gifts. (I come from a family of five and there were 18 grandchildren plus the patriarchs of the clan - quite a crowd - 35 plus people).Only when the first gift was handed out did I realize I could not find my master list. At first I panicked. What was I gonna do? Then I really thought I could remember what was in the package - after all I was the one who wrapped them. No problem.
Santa held up a gift with no name - Just a number. I said "Oh that is for Papa Joe." Whew - what a relief I remembered. Imagine Papa Joe's confusion when he got a Strawberry Shortcake doll. Not to be outdone by a 6 year old little girl getting a size large printed house coat with a matching pair of slippers, and a 9 year old boy getting an Old Spice Shaving brush complete with the mug of shaving soap. Confusion was the name of the game now.
The only thing to do was to give everyone a gift to open, then I had to take a look at it and take it from the person that opened it and give it to the person for whom it was intended. I am sure there was a lesson here somewhere but after all these years the one I learned is that the presents do not go under the tree until Christmas Eve.
How about you guys out there? Any funny or memorable stories.
em
1 Comments:
At 10:01 AM,
Anonymous said…
em
My most memorable Christmas was when I was just a little girl. I loved playing Barbie (imagine that!) That year I awoke to find under the tree a paper bag (we used those before plastic for groceries) filled to the top with Barbie clothes. Now there was a store bought, fold up Barbie house but the clothes had been all hand made by my Mom. There were bathing suits, dresses, pants and shirts, PJs, robes, the works. I cannot even imagine the time it took to sew all those little outfits, much less the patience! That Christmas I learned a 'grown-up' respect and love for my Mom that I carry to this day.
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