Flashback Friday: Christmas, 80s style

 Merry Christmas from 1986-1989

Christmas at the Syme house was a noisy affair. There were 10 of us, after all. As daylight ended outside, inside our house came alive. Candlelight dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes on my mom's Christmas tablecloth. Snitching the hand-dipped chocolates we made the day before. Then we scavaged the house for costumes to wear for the nativity. Bathrobes, tinsel, towels, ties, wrapping paper tubes.  We drew names between the 10 of us. It was common knowledge who had who. I only ever knew what I got my person but it seemed like everyone knew what I was getting.

We didn't open these presents until after the nativity and sometimes it made the nativity portion a chore. My dad could never remember where the account was in the bible (Luke 2) or where to turn to find the account of the wisemen (Matthew 2). Whatever part I had, usually the angel, it felt like a lot of waiting at first or at the end of the reading. 

It was tradition not to sleep in your own room that night, at least for me. A few of us usually ended up in Julie's room. It was so hard to go to sleep and even harder to stay asleep. Is it time yet? Once we woke up and came to the living room, it still took forever for my parents to mosey on in.For a few years, Santa's presents were wrapped in white paper.  A large pile of white presents for a family of 10 was a magical sight. 

(Six-month-old Thomas was not too cooperative as the baby Jesus.)

This is the only turtleneck I ever owned. Not a fan. Opening presents was a free-for-all. I heard of friends who's parents made them take turns. Could you imagine waiting for 9 people to open a present before you got to open another one? We'd be opening presents until lunch time! "Mom, look waht Santa brought me!" I laugh about that now. 

I don't think there was a bigger deal than the year we got a VCR. We had a camcorder that used VHS tapes so we could replay our home movies on that. At Macey's in Logan you could rent movies and a VCR and we did that a few times and it was amazing! The idea you could watch the movie of your choosing at any time was crazy! Think about it, until then you were at the mercy of what came on television. But the year we got a VCR we just about all fainted. There's a home video somewhere with someone shouting "It even has a remote!" The Symes were good kids that year.

I love this for reals tree. It looks a lot like my tree this year.

This tree in the living room was all white. In the basement was our fake tree with Winnie the Pooh ornaments. Only a couple of those ornaments survive and I have them! 

Do you ever see a picture of your old clothes and you remember exactly how they felt wearing them? I can tell you about the elastics at the end of the sleeves, the feel of the criss-cross stitching on the chest. There's a single button on the back that I never did up because I couldn't do it myself and I didn't want it done up because then I'd have to find someone to undo it in the morning.

The rest of Christmas day was spent eating cereal for breakfast, playing with toys, playing games, not getting dressed, eating leftover turkey on rolls, and playing outside if there was snow. 

"Don't stand in front of a t-shirt gun when it's loaded"

The title is sage advice from James. You never know what's going to come out of his mouth or where he gets this stuff.

We'll start off this post with a good smile from James. He has been busy making presents for just about everyone he knows. He works exclusively in Legos. He makes custom made trucks and trailers and wraps them up. If he doesn't have gifting remorse, he even leaves them under the tree! Most of the time though, he changes his mind, unwraps it and forgets all about giving his little neighbor friend a Lego jeep.

This is the smile I usually get from him. The struggle is real.

We cleaned his room after it being a disaster for like a week. He was excited to "finally roll around like a tootsie roll."

There was this one Saturday where it finally snowed so we decided it would be a good time to go see the Festival of Lights. Apparently half the county also thought it was a good time. The line was more mile long. After waiting for 12 minutes and moving 8 car lengths, we called it quits and would attempt it again. We tried again Monday night with success! And another of James's classic cheesers.

Our dutiful designated driver. He looks serious in this photo but he gets a kick out of the kids' reactions. And the Christmas dinosaurs.

This is Erica's favorite Christmas frog.

I like the winter sports portion. Every year at this point I think to myself, are there Olympics this year?

Justin's favorite is the ski jumper. I like it too.

There are some things that would be weird to do without kids and this is definitely one of them. 

James: Mom, what does it say on the ninja turtles belts?

Me: Viacom. Viacom owns the ninja turtle brand.

Before I could clarify, James's eyes got wide and he asks: Viacom controls the ninja's brains?

Further proof that 4-year-olds are the best: This was James's entry in the ward art show. 

"Mom, I made 7 eggs in like 3 hours." He really did. He was like a short-order cook all week. "Anyone else want an egg?" He can only make over easy or over hard and he only makes them one at a time and sometimes he leaves the empty pan on the still-on burner. 

But he enjoys cooking and I love to see this serving side of him.

When I picked the kids up from school today, they were excited as kids who have just finished school before Christmas break can be. Strangely, we still have a week before Christmas. We still have a lot of movies to watch and cookies to eat so good thing!

Are you feeling it?

I had a hard time getting into Christmas this year. Time just feels off. I was ready for something like Christmas back in August but after Thanksgiving I just was not ready to dive in. It just didn't seem like it should be Christmastime just yet. As I was stringing lights on our tree on November 30, I imagined someone coming by and asking why I was putting my tree up already. I don't know, I'd reply. It all seems weird. I'm not ready for this, I'm not in the mood. 

But James, on the other hand....

That evening we decorated the tree and put up our countdowns and little village and stockings but there were a lot of decorations we didn't put up because I just couldn't handle so much.   

These button trees we made are a new addition. These Christmas sweater is one of my favorites. I made my kids take my decorations downstairs to their tree and kept all the homemade ones upstairs because they make me happier.

And the 40 year old Pooh Bear. He can stay.

After a 6 year absence (according to her) Sarah put the star on the tree.

Erica has had a loose tooth for awhile now but I told her to leave it alone. She was excited but I was not. Baby teeth are just so cute.

After a couple of tearful meals with her loose tooth getting in the way, she got serious about pulling it out. Except she wouldn't. I have no qualms whatsoever pulling out my kids' teeth. Heck, I think I've pulled out all of Sarah's except for the few that have fallen out during lunch at school or during YW (She hates to lose teeth so she waits until they literally fall out themselves.) I asked Erica several times Saturday if she wanted me to pull it out. "I'm quick," I tell her. "Count to three and I'll have it out and it won't hurt anymore." She tearfully declined my offer and went out to play. Then she came back a few minutes later proud of herself, tooth in hand. It kinda, sorta got knocked out while she was playing outside with friends. 

She was happy as can be. She put her tooth in a baggie to take to school but then lost the bag later that day. It's been nearly a week and we still haven't found it. Justin handed her a dollar out of his wallet because the Tooth Fairy doesn't come to our house. When Sarah lost her first tooth the thought of the Tooth Fairy terrified her so we had to put the kibosh on that tradition before it even started.

Speaking of traditions, we watched the Christmas devotional on Sunday night. I made red and green jello popcorn and the kids mostly listened. 

We laughed at Erica choosing her favorite choir singers. "The ladies with the blondest hair are my favorite.)

In non-Christmas news, Sarah has a mild case of scoliosis. It's not bad enough to require a brace (yet) so she is just to stay active and she'll get x-rayed again in 6 months. I think x-rays are the coolest.

Yesterday Erica brought home this "Christmas tree" she made in art class at school.  Even Erica can tell this is lame. Sarah threw hers away at school and Henry is making his today. Erica still hung it up on the tree and it makes me laugh.

Another day, another good-bye. We had Sarah's good friend from our ward over yesterday. She is moving to Massachusetts next week. She has been her really good friend for the past few years and her swimming buddy. I can't believe how many friends my kids have said good-bye to. Way more than I ever did.

Our ward party was an art show. We asked ward members, especially children, to submit art for the theme "How I Hear Him". I can't believe how creative and talented people in our ward are. It was a great activity and probably the only way we could have celebrated during a pandemic.

These are real eggs. I can't imagine painting such intricate designs and not crushing the shell.

"When Jesus was Baptized" by James

"The Sacrament Prayers" typed up by Henry

"When I Share with Others I think of Jesus" by Erica

And Sarah typed up her favorite scripture as well.

What's nice about the sun coming up so late is that I am actually up some mornings to catch the sunrise. I took this photo outside my bedroom window with my zoom lens. In a few more days I will lose my view of the mountain to the houses being framed right now. Then we should move because I will be sad.

Henry's orthodontist asked me today if I'm ready for Christmas. I honestly replied that I was. I've got all the major shopping done. We are in the "watch movies and make candy" phase of Christmas. I like this part.