Childhood: Christmas

Christmas with my family, for as long as I remember and until I started dating my husband, followed this pattern: Christmas Eve with Mom's side (my grandpa's birthday) in Iola, Christmas Eve service at church, our own family gift exchange first thing Christmas morning, then packing up everything for Christmas at my Dad's side in Waupaca.  When I was really young (under 6), I remember going to very extended family gatherings.  As I got older and started to get more cousins, Christmases moved to my grandparents' houses.

Certain gifts I got stick out, like the year my uncle Steve gave me a chemistry set (awesome!) and my sister a My Pet Monster (totally appropriate).  He was also the one who gave me my first New Kids On The Block cassette tape and a VHS tape of the first season of South Park.  Always wanting to corrupt and inform, Steve. 

You know how certain foods or smells can bring memories flooding back?  If I haven't had 7up in a while, my first taste will immediately take me back to Iola and Christmas.  It was there as a mixer for the adults, but for me, it was the only time in the year when I got a drink of it. There would also be lutefisk, lefse, sandbakkels, and krumkake (can you tell I'm part Norwegian?).

On my mom's side, for most years, it was just my older cousin Jimmie, my sister, and me.  This led, generally, to us getting very bored after the presents were opened.  Invariably, we either went outside and tormented my sister or whatever little kid happened to be along that year, or else we went into my grandparents room and broke the bed.  I think we had a streak of several years where we'd be bouncing around the room and *bang*, the bed would break.  My grandparents also had a set of Mr. Scent markers.  We'd get ourselves a little dizzy sniffing those, and occassionally, throw them at the wall to see if we could leave a mark.

Christmases on my dad's side were much more boisterous affairs.  Lots of aunts, uncles and cousins would fill the place.  We'd eat lunch, chat, then tear as one into the presents. Few memories stand out, likely because every year was pretty similar to the last. Same people, same handmade ornaments of my great-grandma's on the tree, same sledding. Well, there was the year we were sliding on snowtubes and Alissa went onto the ice. For a few years early on in my life, an ice skate would be passed around between my dad and his sibilings and cousins as a gag gift.