Once Upon a Christmas Eve

"Granny, why Dad always give us new pajamas for Christmas?" Kurtis said he crawled into my lap.

I snuggled my great-grandchildren, as my thoughts again on the first Christmas of his grandmother. "Well, darling, it was really an accident, but now it's a family tradition. Shall I tell you the story?"

"Yes, I like stories." His eyes sparkled like snuggled hear him. His cousin was sitting on the floor at my feet, prepared to listen to, including Ryan, who at eleven clock keptno longer a child.

"One December many years ago, in 1962 to be exact, a young mother, her sewing machine to make her little girl some Christmas gifts. The mother and the father did not have much money, and they certainly did not have enough for elaborate gifts although this would be her daughter's first Christmas.

"The mother found the remains of the material on the sale and sewed a red corduroy skirt with shoulder straps and a little dress. She made a long gown made of white flannel with ared design and matching slippers for little feet. From other messages, she made a funny looking stuffed rabbit with button eyes and nose. Then a smile embroidered on the stupid face. Finally, the young couple went shopping and on a white blouse with lace collar and splurged at the wrists. They wrapped and placed the presents under a small tree, sits on a shelf where little hands could not reach. The label on the infant-sized bathrobe and nightgown said, "fromDaddy. "

"Christmas Eve, the mother of the baby is bathed and wrapped in a towel before going into the living room. But when they picked up the worn, slightly stained pajamas, and was the mother turned to her husband." That is what will wear Rene, if we take pictures of her in the morning. "

"Rene?" Kurtis turned in my lap. "This is Na Na."

"Yes, the Na Na's", I replied. "Now back to the story."

"" Does she have anything better? "Asked the father, aFrown frowns.

"" No, because we have gone the laundry mat this week, "answered the woman. She sighed as he wrapped up his wife and child in his arms." I know this is a stupid thing to worry. "

"" Do the new clothes and order you made them for Christmas, "he reminded his wife.

"The woman who is not much more than a girl herself, raised her head." We could open it to let the evening gift. "

"And so, my children, Zabel tradition allows childrenopen a gift on Christmas Eve was born, when Rene 'opened her gift from his father and was dressed in her new dress, robe and slippers for the pictures on Christmas morning. "I saw the eager faces around me." Want to hear some stories about what your parents did when they were your age on Christmas Eve? "

"Yes, Grandma, tell us some stories," Shane reported from his seat on the floor.

"Then I'll tell you what will happen if they were old enough to enjoy stories, tooif your father was a baby, Shane.

"When would the children were old enough for stories, they open the gift from Daddy, baths, and, once dressed in new sleepwear, gather in the living room. The lights of the tree, some candles, and one or two oil lamps provided the only light when I read how the Grinch stole Christmas, The Night Before Christmas and the Christmas story from the Bible. according to the stories of the family sang carols before Trooping into bed.

"Then ChristmasTomorrow we have to all and opened our gifts, Rene, Bob, and Randy dressed in new pajamas. We had the same Christmas Eve every year until she left home. "

I hugged Kurtis. "Then who, if your momma and your aunt Keri were born, they always had a package of Dad with new pajamas. It has been a tradition for each and every one of the children of the same time. Guess what? I paused. "Directly in front of all the gifts are packages of Papa for you, Kurtis, and you, Ryan, and you, Colby,and you, Shane. Do you want to open it now? "

Four boys thrilled at the age of eleven to almost five, soon had decorative paper in front of the packages and held pajamas torn. They had to go home, that was Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, not from us, and would be back the next night, but they were wearing new pajamas from Dad.