Childhood Christmas memories

After my mom read my Thanksgiving post she laughed about all the stories that I didn't/can't/won't print and said she can't wait to read my "Christmas post".  I told her I don't really have any funny memories of Christmas, but then I thought about it and maybe I do...or maybe, like Thanksgiving, they are only funny to those of you who were there.  So, here it goes, Mom...

A couple weeks ago I went to an Advent preparation program with my friend, T.  One of the things the speaker brought up was what we remembered from our "magical childhood Christmases" (what is the plural of Christmas? ) was tied to memories, not to gifts, and that most of us couldn't name ten gifts we received for Christmas as children. T started giggling, because I said I probably could name ten and they would all be homemade--so probably tied to memory and to the gift.  I'll make a list and then see if I can find pictures later..
1.  Wooden slide.  Ok, I don't remember receiving it, I think I was eleven months old, but I remember the slide and have seen pictures of me on it.
2.  Wooden play stove.  See above.  I also received an orange plastic skillet, with a face on it, and on the back the words "not intended for heated surfaces".  Still makes me laugh.
3.  Wooden play cabinet for my toy kitchen.  I actually used it as a bookshelf and sweater holder in high school, it fit really well in my closet.
4.  Dollhouse--this one I do remember receiving.  It was (is) awesome!  My dad built it for the Sunshine Family dolls--now there is a classic American Family.  Mine included not only the hippie parents and "Sweets" the baby, but the hippie grandparents and the really cool car.  The dollhouse actually had a garage for the car.  It later became a Barbie house, they had to walk around with their knees bent because of the low ceilings.  The dollhouse came with lots of furniture (made by my dad) and doll clothes (in their own bag) made by my mom and every year it seems like the furniture and clothes were added to.  Later still the dollhouse became a handy set of shelves for my sweaters, before being moved up to the attic for a couple years. Both pieces of the toy kitchen were sold/given away when my folks moved away from my childhood home, but mom actually took pictures of the dollhouse being loaded on the truck to reassure me that it "made the move". A few years ago mom and dad snuck it into my house and The Boy and I redecorated it for the new millennium for The Girl.  It now lives in her room and is headed for use as a sweater holder rather quickly, I think.
5.  Clothespin doll furniture--made by my Grandfather.  I think I was "almost too old" to enjoy this for the dolls, but this also means it wasn't as abused by me.
6.  Not homemade, but had a homemade connection:  Gerber Baby doll and bag of homemade clothes.  Grandma and Grandpa bought the doll and mom made the clothes.  Grandma and Grandpa came for Christmas, so that was fun.  somewhere there is a great picture of my Grandma holding the baby doll like a baby and smiling at it.
7.  Also not homemade, but my blue bike with training wheels.  Somewhere there are pictures of me riding it in the kitchen because it was "too cold" outside.  I don't know why they didn't make me go to the garage.
8.  Twin Barbie dolls--my grandmother was famous for buying gifts early.  The November she passed away she had all our gifts purchased and wrapped and stored in the "gift closet".  No one wanted to unwrap and re-wrap and Grandpa knew there was one Barbie I wanted...so he bought one, too.  I remember seeing the first real smile on his face when I opened the second one. He stayed with us for what seemed like a long time that winter--it was a lot of fun for us, although I'm sure not as much fun for him.
9. Captain Crunch and shampoo in my stocking.  Santa always brought my brother and I a box of Captain Crunch (peanut butter) for Christmas.  I used to try to make mine last until my birthday in January. We were allowed to open our stockings (and the Captain Crunch) before mom and dad were up, but the gifts under the tree had to wait for everyone to be ready--on the years Christmas fell on a Sunday they had to wait until after church.  The shampoo was when I was older--high school or college, and it did make me roll my eyes, but was much appreciated because it was "fancy" (maybe Suave instead of White Rain?)
10.  Two different Christmases, two "big" walking dolls.  One when I was pretty young and played with it a lot and one later, when I was maybe 9 or 10 and felt like I was "too old for that kind of doll".  It did live in my room for years though, she had pretty hair and a beautiful dress.

Other years I also received a record player (two different ones, actually in two different years) and a couple sewing machines. All of these are long gone, but my records are in a box in my living room, under the circa 2010 turntable that serves us well these days and the replacement sewing machine is living on my desk.

When we were little, Santa actually visited our house every Christmas Eve, usually posing for a picture with the still awake me and my younger brother who was allowed to fall asleep on the bottom bunk of my downstairs bunk bed.  A very memorable Christmas, the parishioners of the church gave my folks a "money tree"--a styrofoam tree with money attached--astounding to the "little me".

Our neighbor and her friend used to come over for dinner, maybe on Christmas Eve, but sometime during the season.  The friend's son had left for World War II just before Christmas, I suppose in 1942, I'm sorry now I never asked.  Before he left he played "Silent Night" for her on the piano, because it was her favorite song.  Every year she asked me to play it and gushed over what a wonderful piano player I was becoming.  The two "old ladies" always brought us gifts--one year a nightgown for me with a Shirt Tales critter on it.

Christmas Eve usually meant church--not at midnight, but usually after dark (so after 4:30 in the winter, right?).  The services I remember best/most were at a small church where my dad usually did the Christmas Eve service for a friend who traveled for Christmas.  The last activity of the evening was always by individual candlelight and was always Silent Night.  I can't believe they used to give all us kids real candles?  Now on Christmas Eve they give the kids glow sticks.  Hmm. Not quite the same.

So there, mom, no funny stories (well, other than the shampoo), but maybe I'll think of something funny later!
Merry Christmas!