Early Christmas Moments

Today I wrapped our "Tree Day" gifts for the kids.  Tree Day is a holiday that my mom made up to encourage her children to help put up the Christmas decorations.  We had a huge amount of decorations accumulated in my family.  My house was transformed for the month.  But it took the day to transform it.  If you are helping during Tree Day you periodically get a very small gift.  She has taught this tradition to my children so much so that they really think it is an official holiday so I scurried out to find a few presents (all under a dollar) for the kids.  This made me think of some of my favorite things of Christmas growing up.

I loved the movie Bushfire Moon (I never realized that was its name) growing up.  Our VHS version that my mom taped off the TV might have had some commercials in it, sometimes the first few seconds after an attempted edit of a commercial break were cut off, but I still loved it.  For the life of me I can't find a version to purchase now so I can show it to my kids.

You know what movie I never watched growing up?

My husband's family watches it.  Every year.  All together.  Loudly saying the funny parts exactly in sync with the movie.  Sometimes on repeat all day long.  And they still laugh every time.  You've never heard a great laugh until you hear my father-in-law's laugh.  So now I know how the movie goes.

Which is why this experience was so funny to me a few days ago:

Scene:  I'm upstairs doing chores.  Charlotte, Greg, and a neighbor friend, we'll call her Sally, were playing downstairs.  This is what I overhear:

Greg: Sally is an idiot!  Sally is an idiot!  Sally is an idiot!

I immediately came downstairs and put him on time out upstairs.  After time out and tears had subsided I sat and talked to him.

Me: It isn't nice to call people names.  Not ever.

Greg: Oh-Kaaaay.

Me: Where did you even hear that word?

Greg was silent, but the look in his eyes said I know where I heard that word and you know where I heard that word, but if you think I'm going to say anything you're nuts.  He was properly reprimanded and had to apologize, but the entire thing made me shake my head.  Christmas 2012 here we come!