My Christmas Memories

Today, because I spent a lot of my day baking cookies and napping, I am going to write a little about my favorite Christmas memories as a kid. 



These are not my cookies.



This is similar to how I was napping, but I used a recliner and a warm blanket.

When I was a kid my parents worked nights.  So Santa came to our house at the beginning of his run while we were still awake.  My dad explained that he had worked this out with Santa and it was cool with him.  My dad was amazing at the explanations.

Now, we could not be in the room when Santa came, some union rules I am sure.  So we would hide upstairs.  All five of us would sit on my older sister's bed just waiting for the moment.  My parents promised that as soon as Santa got there, they would yell so we could catch a glimpse of the jolly old elf. 

It seemed to take hours.  Finally we would hear my dad yell "Santa's here!"  This was always followed by a hearty "Ho Ho Ho". 

We would leap from the bed and run down the stairs.  Imagine ten feet stampeding down wooden stairs.  It must have sounded like a herd of elephants. 

There was a door at the bottom of the stairs and who ever reached it first would fling it open.  Dad was always standing at the big picture window waving goodbye.  We were NEVER fast enough to catch Santa.  But it didn't matter, the presents were there.

Some of my favorite gifts.

A dollhouse.  This was a gift to me and my little sister.  It had all kinds of furniture and two babies.  I remember my parents had been to a Christmas party earlier in the evening and my dad was a little tipsy.  He tripped over the dollhouse and then took over my older sister's new eight track player and listened to Johnny Cash. 

A few years later I was obsessed with John Schneider of the "Duke's of Hazzard" fame. 



He had released an album and it was the only thing I wanted.  I drove my parents crazy.

"There is nothing else I want.  All I want is John Schneider's album."

Christmas Eve it was there.  It was the Christmas album, but I didn't care.  I played it over and over.  There was an original song called "Katie's Christmas Card" that was  about a little girl who sends each of her separated parents a Christmas card and they get back together. 

Sadly, in what I am sure was a tragic accident, my father stepped on the record and broke it in half.  I don't recall ever leaving it on the floor.  And equally tragic, the album was no longer for sale, so a replacement was impossible.   So sad. 

Then there was the year I got the coolest dress ever. 

That is me in the back.  Wearing my disco dress.  It was bronze polyester with a dramatic ruffle at the neck line.  And it would twirl.  I was ready to dance!  Not that I can. 

Aren't we a picture.  In this picture, my brother, the only boy with four sisters was shorter than I was.  I was two years younger than he was and it made him insane that I was taller.  He sprouted up later though and is now taller than me.

I had some happy Christmases.  We didn't have a lot when I was growing up, but my parents made Christmas special.  I still love the season.

More movies tomorrow.