Christmas Memory 1

It’s the holiday season, so I thought I would share a few particular memories as we head towards Christmas Day.

This one goes back to when Brie and Kitty were little kids. Kitty had been particularly good that year, but little Brie’s behavior had been…well, let’s just say less than stellar! So I told her that if she didn’t behave: Santa wouldn’t bring her any gifts and she would be visited by the Coal Man! And everyone knows the Coal Man brings coal instead of presents.

But cocky little Brie didn’t believe that for a minute. So she continued being…Brie.

Christmas Eve finally came, and I sent the girls to bed. Brie said, “I can’t wait to see what Santa brings me tomorrow!” I said, “How do you know Santa will bring you anything? You weren’t a good girl this year so you might get something from the Coal Man!” She giggled. “No I won’t. There’s no such thing.” “Okay then, we’ll see in the morning.”

When the girls were asleep, my sister came over: bringing the gifts I had stashed at their house. “Are you going to help me wrap?” I asked. “Oh I’m not good at that,” Robin said, settling on the couch with my remote to watch something scandalous on MTV.

I snatched the remote out of her hand, put the Yule Log tape in the VCR and told her that I needed help wrapping.  “Fine,” she grumbled, sliding onto the floor. I handed her something very easy to wrap: a gumball bank. In a rectangle box, what could be easier?

That’s when I found out what was easy for me was rocket science to my sister. It took her 45 minutes to wrap that present! “What in the world are you doing over there?” I finally asked.

She huffed and puffed and turned and taped and wrapped and finally said, “I don’t know how you do it every year. This is hard!” Only for her, apparently! But she finally got it looking somewhat like a lumpy present, albeit not one I’d want to receive! “Now grab a Christmas tag, write her name on it and try to move a little faster on the next one. I’ve already wrapped 12 to your one!”

So after the sisterly wrapping party she finally went home and I finished placing all the presents under the tree. Boy: the girls would be so surprised when they saw the bounty “Santa” left!

Of course they were up at the crack of dawn, woke me up and we made our way to open presents. While I was helping Kitty, little bad Brie grabbed the lumpy present and shook it, trying to figure out what it was.  She looked at the tag in horror, and then burst into tears! “Brie, what’s the matter?” I asked in concern. Why was she crying on Christmas?

“You were right!” she wailed. “The Coal Man left me coal!” “What are you talking about?” Then I looked at the tag and burst out laughing. Robin had written, “To a naughty little girl. Love, THE COAL MAN”!

Once I was able to contain my mirth, I had her open it so she could see it was only a gumball bank. Then all was right with her world…

I understand that I shouldn’t have laughed at her distress. But I will tell you: she was MUCH better the following year!