Christmases Past
Got a sweet email from my eldest daughter who said she'd seen a list of popular toys from the past and remembered all of them--and had gotten most of them. She let me know she appreciated the wonderful Christmases we managed to have despite the fact when our kids were still kids we had very little money.
Hubby was in the Navy (Seabees) and we made so little money we qualified for welfare though we never signed up for it.
I bought Christmas presents all year long and hid them where I was sure they'd never be found. (Learned in later years that the kids did manage to locate some of my hiding spots.) Hubby and I made some gifts too, the one I remember most is a Barbie house that he built and I made the furnishings and decor. Eldest daughter got that one and was thrilled. Of course she got a Barbie to go with it.
Often we got toys that had to be put together after the children went to bed on Christmas Eve--sometimes meaning that we stayed up all night to do it. When hubby was overseas on Christmas, we'd spend Christmas at my parents' and my father had this lovely chore.
One Christmas I had to work and missed the whole Christmas opening procedure. I was not happy. We even ate Christmas dinner out--and I think that's the only time in my entire life that I didn't have Christmas dinner at home.
Our children were always given money to go buy presents for their siblings. That was back when $5 would actually buy three of four gifts at the five and dime store. Today, you might be able to do it at one of the dollar stores.
Of course we always had a tree, though it depended upon how much money we happened to have how big that tree might be. For a couple of years we had an aluminum tree. No one really liked it.
It was a lot more fun to decorate a tree when a bunch of kids helped. We would put each strand of tinsel on one by one. We also popped popcorn to string and loop on the tree branches. More popcorn was eaten than strung.
Sometimes we went Christmas caroling--often with a church group. Does anyone go caroling anymore?
Those long ago Christmases with five children were wonderful--and it didn't matter that we didn't have much money--we had a wonderful time.
Merry Christmas.
Marilyn
Hubby was in the Navy (Seabees) and we made so little money we qualified for welfare though we never signed up for it.
I bought Christmas presents all year long and hid them where I was sure they'd never be found. (Learned in later years that the kids did manage to locate some of my hiding spots.) Hubby and I made some gifts too, the one I remember most is a Barbie house that he built and I made the furnishings and decor. Eldest daughter got that one and was thrilled. Of course she got a Barbie to go with it.
Often we got toys that had to be put together after the children went to bed on Christmas Eve--sometimes meaning that we stayed up all night to do it. When hubby was overseas on Christmas, we'd spend Christmas at my parents' and my father had this lovely chore.
One Christmas I had to work and missed the whole Christmas opening procedure. I was not happy. We even ate Christmas dinner out--and I think that's the only time in my entire life that I didn't have Christmas dinner at home.
Our children were always given money to go buy presents for their siblings. That was back when $5 would actually buy three of four gifts at the five and dime store. Today, you might be able to do it at one of the dollar stores.
Of course we always had a tree, though it depended upon how much money we happened to have how big that tree might be. For a couple of years we had an aluminum tree. No one really liked it.
It was a lot more fun to decorate a tree when a bunch of kids helped. We would put each strand of tinsel on one by one. We also popped popcorn to string and loop on the tree branches. More popcorn was eaten than strung.
Sometimes we went Christmas caroling--often with a church group. Does anyone go caroling anymore?
Those long ago Christmases with five children were wonderful--and it didn't matter that we didn't have much money--we had a wonderful time.
Merry Christmas.
Marilyn
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