CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOUSE

CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOUSE

Well on our farm there was a paddock, which we called the Pine Tree paddock.  This being because there was a huge pinetree right in the top corner. It was the biggest one I've ever seen.  Anyway, every Christmas dad would go up there and find a good thick branch and cut it down and  bring it home for our Christmas tree. I remember whenever he brought it inside, it would be too tall for the ceiling , and the top would be scrunched up and bent over to fit.  The house was built with high ceilings so you can imagine how tall the Christmas tree was.  Once it was put into the container,(cant remember what that was) we would get to decorate it.  Mum had some wicked decorations.. I reckon she must have brought them out from England with her cos I have never seen anything like them.  As there were seven kids,  and we all wanted to do the tree trimming, mum had a system put in place,  We would each pick a decoration, and go and line up.  The oldest first and the youngest last.  Of course that was me and if you add being the shortest into the pot, I didn't get to put my stuff where it would be admired.  Typical.  Well I didn't think that at the time, I just loved the pomp and ceremony of the whole thing.  We used to make the paper chains too and the tree would look soooo busy when we finished.  I do remember, though there were a few yelling matches during 

 the event.  It would all go smoothly then eventually, someone would push in when it wasn't their turn and a fight would ensue.  Mum would scream at the top of her lungs at us to be quiet.......... (O no she didn't!  She never screamed at us for anything!  That is what I guess I would have done.)  But by the time it was finished it looked  real good.  Then Dad would climb the ladder and put the angel on the top.  Absolutely brilliant fun and I used to do the same with my girls as they grew up, though I never got a huge tree like the ones we had.  We used to have a few cats that would come inside and sometimes they would get into the tree and ruin the artistic look and mum would have to throw the streamers back any ol how, and find the best places to tie the balls and figurines back on. 

On Christmas morning, us girls, who all slept in one huge bedroom, would be awake when the birds started 

chirping.  We would talk quietly for a while then one of the older girls would yell out to mum.  "Can we come out yet"  Usually we wouldn't hear an answer, until about the tenth time they had yelled.  Mum would come to our door and say "yes it's ok, come out."  We would barge out and look under the tree for our goodies.  When we were young, there wasn't any of the gifts people expect now.  A set of keys for that new car, money for the sons mortgage, A boat.  No, it was soooo much better.  It was something we wanted but also something we could play with for years.  We really were happy with what we got.  Or what Santa brought us.  We would always have a huge Christmas dinner.  In the evenings we would usually have a cold tea, then mum would call us around the tree.  We would sing carols, then she would tell us to sing Jingle Bells really loud.  Sometimes we had to sing it a couple of times then we would hear a bell.  It was just the best thing in the world.  The door would open and Santa himself would be there with a huge sack.  It was bedlam in the room.  We would all be yelling and cheering.  It's a wonder he didn't get scared and run away.  But maybe my mum and him had an arrangement.  (Wink wink)  Christmas tree presents were so much fun.  They were small things.  A special pen, or pretty pad.  Little stuffed teddies.  One year we all got a little plastic farm animal.  They were so gorgeous.  Mine was a little cow and she was gorgeous.  I remember once I got a pad, and the cover was three d, and the plastic cover was sort of done in diamond shapes under another layer of plastic and it was amazing.  Of course every Christmas we got a stocking.  They were the first thing we would see.  Inside would be a little bag of tiny lollies,  These were hard as all get out, and nearly broke our teeth but they tasted good.  There was also a flip pad.  It was stuck together in the middle so the sides were open and you would flip them.  They usually had an acrobat on one side, and a clown doing something silly on the other side, but they were fun.  Also we always got an annual.  These were a special book, usually   the same as our weekly comic, and they had to come out from England, so Santa had to order them early to make sure we got them in time.  Once I got TeddyBear Annual and another time a Lucy Attwels Annual, which may I say I looked after well, and still have today. I used to get them for my girls too (the Christmas stockings) but they disappeared and were replaced with crappy ones filled with lollies you could buy any day of the week.  Wheres the excitement in that?  I remember when I was a bit older and we had moved to town, and mum asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  We went looking in a shop that was a major toy shop, and I saw a stuffed puppy.  He was a soft orange color and I loved him.  I showed her and she said she would see if Santa could bring it.  Well.. the big day arrived and I hoped for my puppy.  I opened my present and was disappointed.  It was the wrong puppy.  This one was pink and white, and smaller.  I guess I must have cried, cos that was part of who I was,I can't remember, but through the day, I began to have a real fun time with my new puppy.  I fell in love with him/her, and still have the little guy/gal on a shelf in my bedroom, with my other stuffed fellas. We didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up, but we sure had a lot of other things that made life fun, happy and exciting, and I wouldn't change it for anything.  Thats it for now.     See ya on the flip side. Bye