Twas the week before Christmas, and I've been thinking...

I really love Christmas.  On sooo many levels.  I love to reminisce; how about you--my readers?  What memories warm your heart this time of year?

It's interesting when I look back at the chapters of my life...

Although Christmas is and always will be, primarily, Christ's birthday, I still can't help but love all the things I remember about that time of year throughout my life.

As a very little child, my first memory of Christmas was when I was two years old.  It was so long ago that the memories are mostly of what I was thinking.  I can recall being told that Santa Claus had come, and seeing toys everywhere.  I cannot remember anything Santa brought, but I do remember that my aunt and uncle came by and gave me a Fischer Price pull toy (a telephone that had eyes which moved when you pulled it).

The following morning, I awoke and wondered why there were no more new presents to open.  :) I didn't grasp the whole idea of it being only one day.

Life as a two year old consisted of me and my big brother, Shaun, living with our parents in a rental home in a neighborhood near Farrell, Pa.  Shaun and I had the whole dining room to play in, which was gated off and filled with our toys.  Mom kept her ironing board there, so she could do her laundry and watch us.  Days were pretty much the same each day; occasionally, Mom would let us sit on the front porch and play with our puppets, or walk out back and throw bread to the birds.  I remember a cherry tree there, maybe I got to taste the fruit, although I'm not sure.

When I was three, we moved to the house that Mom and Dad still live in.  That October, my baby brother, Jim arrived.  That Christmas is much more vivid in my mind than the previous one.

I remember the tree being all decorated in the corner of the dining room, and that I got up earliest that morning.  I found the tree, all lit up in the dark room, and all the toys under it.  I grabbed the first thing I saw and ran up the steps to show it to Mom, who was still sound asleep.  It was a toy rhinocerous. Groggy, she sat up and looked at the toy.  "Annie, this isn't yours, it is your brother's."  Wait till Daddy and I come down and show you what is yours."  Waiting for them to get up and make their way down the steps was an eternity.  :)

That Christmas, I received lots of goodies.  I remember a doll named Janie West, who came with a pony to ride.  I sat by the heat register that day, opening the box that held the doll, then proceeded to somehow drop several of her tiny accessories down the register.  I cried, and Mom said that those things were gone forever.  There was no way to get them back.  I never dangled toys over that thing again. 

Christmases at the Ryan house were always beautiful.  Santa Claus brought all our toys, but in addition to that, the tree itself.  When we went to bed on Christmas Eve, there was not yet a Christmas tree.  But, early the next morn, we'd awaken to find the entire downstairs in darkness, except for the glow of the mulicolored bulbs on the tree.

We always had a live fur tree.  There was great and meticulous care put into choosing just the right one, and the trimming was a work of art.

I think the tannenbaum was the thing that most impressed me, even over all the toys.  Santa Claus didn't wrap our gifts, that was normal for us, and I thought it strange when I heard from other children that they had to unwrap their things.  When I first looked at the gifts, it always looked like the window in a toy store.  I always got dolls--I loved dolls--and lots of wonderful other gifts.

Some years, Mom baked cookies with us.  She was never a fan of KP duty, in any way, shape, or form.  She is a good cook, but doesn't like to cook--she just does it out of necessity.  So, when we made cookies, it was quite a treat.  It seems I remember making gingerbread men the most.

My brothers and I used to lie in our beds on Christmas Eve, listening to stereo 99 FM on our little radio.  We set it in the middle of the upstairs hallway between our bedrooms, and fell asleep to the soothing sounds of Christmas music.  They ran continual Christmas music for 24 hours each year.

At school, in the weeks preparing for Christmas, our teachers taught us about Advent (Catholic school), and we always had a Christmas program set up for the final day of school before vacation.

The year I was in first grade, the teachers decided to put on a play.  I was chosen to sit on the bleachers (off to the side of the stage) to sing songs with a couple dozen other students.  I was content with that, being a very bashful kid.  That was, until my teacher decided that all the first graders would be ON stage.  I refused.  I wanted to be off stage.  She pushed.  I resisted.  Finally, she called Mom, who told her to make me do it.  I cried.  Mrs. Driscoll compromised with me.  She told me all I had to do was dress up as a doll and she'd let me sit on the edge of the stage--no lines.  I reluctantly agreed.

So, Mom made me this adorable dress and fashioned a turnkey for my back.  She assembled it, and I looked like a wind up toy.  When the time for the show came, I plopped down on the stage's edge.  The audience must have thought I looked cute, based on their faces.  I felt dumb and silly.  I wanted to hide in a closet.

When the play ended, I sat there for several seconds until I heard giggling.  I realized I'd missed my cue to stand up and go back stage.  How humiliating!

That Christmas, Santa brought me a pink Cinderella watch.  And a pink robe.  And pink plush slippers.  Pink, pink, pink.  I remember a tiny Barbie like doll named Dawn.  All the girls seemed to have Dawn dolls, and now I did, too!  I received a game called The Bride Game, and a Skipper doll.  It's funny how I can still picture those gifts, and how excited they made me feel.

The next year, as a big second grader, I became aware of fashion.  I wanted fashionable boots--no heavy duty snow boots, but pretty ones to wear with dresses to school.  Santa came through for me!  I also got my first pairs of knee socks.  Prior to that, it was either crew socks or anklets, but I wanted something less childish! 

Each Christmas eve, we visited both sets of grandparents...Mom's parents lived in a big old house on Main Street in Sharpsville.  Sometimes, all the cousins were there, and we'd sing Christmas carols together.  My Aunt Loretta and Uncle Mart still lived there, too, and provided much entertainment for us kids.

My paternal grandmother died when I was a baby, but Grandpa Ryan was always thrilled to see us visit.  He lived with my Aunt Maggie and Uncle Jim, and they always had a big Christmas tree in the corner of their living room.  Uncle Jim would always lift us kids up and swing us in his arms, until we laughed, and then he'd put us back down.  I remember when I grew too big for that fun; what a dismal day that was!  For a few years, Grandpa had a pet monkey named Daisy.  We used to love looking in at the little squirrel monkey and talking to her.  We didn't dare put our fingers near her cage because she was nasty!  She would have bit us!

Christmases always meant lots of visitors.  I had cousins all over the place on both sides of the family.  They were like siblings to me.  I never had a sister, but my female cousins filled that void!  I loved it when they came to our house, or we visited theirs.

I remember games, and ghost stories, outdoor walks, and other fun stuff with them.  I am so glad to have all these fabulous things to look back upon.

Well, time to go do housework...more memories to come...LOTs more!!!

Until later...

HUGSxxx Annie