Assignment for Mom

Mothers day approaches.  I am feeling a bit of heat from my own mother presently to participate in a family history project of sorts.  She gave her children an assignment to submit some report about Christmas traditions.  This came at some point in April.  I have no idea when it came.  I was a little busy with school.  This week it has come to my attention that I failed to meet her deadline of May 2nd for the submission of my report.  My apologies mother.  I will now make an effort to write something about he month of December.  The assignment changed to writing about the entire month.  I guess it is a good thing to have procrastinated though is it really procrastination if you don't really remember the assignment in the first place? 

December memories.  Well, they are Christmas centered.  The entire home had to do with Christmas.  Decorations - wow.  I don't even know if it is possible to pack up one more plastic tote with Christmas decorations.  The entire home is transformed.  I always enjoyed putting ornaments on the tree a kid.  Decorations were actually quite amazing and gave a special feeling to the home.  We read Christmas stories each night.  I might even shed a tear or two these days when reading one of these stories to my kids.  Twelve days of Christmas was simply part of our lives.  I remember those we did when we first moved to Hawaii and the families that were so touched there.  That may have been the first time I realized how special of a thing Twelve Days was for people as well as our own family.  I don't recall pops being as cavalier as others envision him.  Perhaps it was years of precaution finally relaxing a bit.  I don't know, wasn't around for that stage. 

Christmas Eve was always a special time.  I quite enjoyed those Christmas Eve celebrations when mom would pull out a stash of all the goodies she had been giving away in all these 12 days packages.  Finally we could partake of the goodness.  Nasty Candy!  I don't exactly recall what was in it but it was chocolate covered goodness and I loved it.  We had good times together.  I do recall being at Grandpa Al and Grandma Vi's for Christmas Eve one year and exchanging gifts with cousins.  I got the Cindy Lauper cassette that had the song 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' on it.  I couldn't quite understand why I was given that gift.  I took it graciously and learned all the songs on the album having listened to it 'time after time'.  I certainly found myself routing for Cindy Lauper to pull off something amazing in USA for Africa, We are the World.  It was the only cassette I owned at the time and I felt a certain loyalty to Lauper.  Is it possible to get through a Christmas Eve without having to play the chimes?  I don't know.  Those things are painful.  More recently I find myself quite enjoying the white elephant gift exchanges and displaying the white elephant for the year.  Every time I step into the kids bathroom I grin in admiration of Dave gift from last year.  A lovely painting of a colorful stallion. 

Stealth Mode:  I was one who lacked patience for presents.  I had to know what was in the gifts.  I couldn't wait for Christmas morning.  Our cousins the Leroy's would send gifts.  One year, could have been 84.  Anyway, their gifts arrived and so did my curiosity.  I couldn't wait. I took a stealth position behind the tree and carefully opened the package.  Pocket sized tool kits.  Very exciting.  After retiring for bed I would sleep for a bit and then would wake up, sneak out of my room and check the contents of the living room.  It was fantastic and was hard to contain the excitement.

I am not Left Handed.  My first Christmas home from the mission was excellent.  I was excited home and with family.  To make it more exciting I got my first set of golf clubs.  To make it even more exciting than that was when I discovered they were left handed clubs.  I thought it was the perfect little scheme as pops got a new set of clubs.  Nicely played.  I did get some clubs a few days later.  We went to the driving range.  I was feeling like I was gripping the club too tight.  I decided to try a looser grip.  Didn't hold.  My club went flying out to the middle of the driving range.  I don't recommend the loose grip.

December is certainly a fun time of year and a time for reflection.  I am grateful for our family traditions.