30 years ago – December 1991
/In December 30 years ago – the month was dominated by the joys of Christmas with a two-year-old. There was a party for children hosted by the company I worked for where she got her face painted, a refusal to sit on Santa’s lap at a community ‘Donuts with Santa’, singing Jingle Bells to the new baby at her day care, doing a 6 day count down to Christmas putting plush ornaments from Del Monte on the tree (sweetie pea, reddie tomato, cubbie corn, lushie peach, precious pear, juicy pineapple)…culminating in a an overwhelming Christmas morning which we videoed. Her favorite items at first were a kazoo and watching our cat play with a catnip toy. It was the most over-the-top amount of gifts in her life!
Outside of the dominate theme – she was enjoying Peter Rabbit stories at bedtime…and then surrounding herself with her collection of plush toys to completely fill the bed. I sent an application for Montessori school for the next fall.
We didn’t have family visits like we’d had in previous months. One sister was settling into her new house. Another’s family had the flu, but it was over soon enough to allow for a happy Christmas with her 2-year-old and her pregnancy was doing well; she made and sent a pine cone wreath – which I still have. Another sister hosted a successful a party for her colleagues. My mother decided to work one more year as a teacher. I cooked a whole pumpkin for the first time…stuffed it with apples, cinnamon, and butter…yummy for all.
The overarching feeling: life being very good but happening too fast!
