Thursday, December 8, 2005

Opening the Gifts

                           

Please forgive me for this late entry on day 8 of the December Challenge.  My back hurts so badly that I can barely walk.  Don't know exactly what I did, but I've been in bed most of the day.

This morning I went to observe the classroom that they want to put Andrea in.  There are only 7 children in the class, one special education teacher and one assistant.  Most of the kids are learning at the same level as Andrea.  To start, they would want her to attend 3 classes daily.  She would also receive daily homework.  We'll have a meeting in January to see what they are proposing.  Please keep that in your prayers.

Years ago, when my children were still quite small and I was a single mom, I started putting things on lay-away in August so that I could have a nice Christmas for them.  Bit by bit, I got everything out and brought it home.  After we got the Christmas tree decorated, I stayed up one night late and wrapped the presents and put them under the desk in the living room.  Early the next morning, my 3 and 5 yr old imps came screaming into my room with toys in their hands!  "Santa Claus came!!! Santa was here!!!"  I wanted to kill them!  I took the toys away, telling them that they were toys we were giving to other children.  Then I called my mom in tears.  I had worked so hard to surprise my children and had flubbed it up.  I left things out where they could get them.  Mom told me to put the toys out of sight until Christmas eve and then wrap them again.  Then she told me to pray and to remember what Christmas was all about.  She was right.  It was my pleasure to give toys to my children, but I needed to remember why we gave gifts at Christmas.  I sat with my children and we read the story of the birth of Christ.  They were pretty young, but for a few days, they were talking about the baby Jesus who was born. 

I am so grateful to be remembering Christmas past.  These memories are precious gifts that will not tarnish or be spoiled by time.  In fact, I think time makes them more wonderful.  How about you?

Blessings, 

                                

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree...time makes them more wonderful.  Love the entry and I hope you feel better by morning. Back pain can be something awful.

Anonymous said...

hope your back feels better.........

Here's my memory:

Christmas Eve we used to gather around the Christmas tree and shake a few presents trying to guess what was in them. We would say what we thought and then when we opened them the next morning we would be surprised with some of our guesses and sometimes we were right on and accurate with what we had guessed.

betty

Anonymous said...

Dear Penny~Here's mine, It was the end of our 10 day Christmas visit to my folks in CT when my son was 14. Dad got excited on the way to the airport cuz we got to see snow. He and my son didn't get much time to visit since we lived in CA and couldn't get back every year. This visit he tried hard to connect and it was precious. As we were standing in line to board the plane he was stuffing money in our pockets! We hugged and he let go first and went off to join Mom. Right before I stepped on the plane I saw my parents strolling hand-in-hand toward the exit. This is the last time we saw my Dad before he passed 10 years ago this March... His favorite Christmas song was Silent Night...I hope your back feels better and that your daughter gets a good teacher!
Blessings, Sassy

http://journals.aol.com/SasssyDee50/SassysEYE

Anonymous said...

Hi Penny,
I love that graphic/Tag..and hope your back feels better now.
Gem :-)

Anonymous said...

HEY you are the second journal that has used that graphic. How cool. Yeah its hard to remember why we celebratethings. that whther birthdays christmas or hanukkah or what ever its not about the gifts at all.

Anonymous said...

HEY maybe try some naproxin. Its in alieve and I use it for my hip and it helps a lot on that.

Anonymous said...

I hope your back feels better and you are soon up and about Penny.  It`s a great story about your children and I had to smile at the thought of your little ones opening the presents, though I can understand who you must have felt at the time.  I think today though, a great many children have no idea why Christmas Day is so special.  It`s very sad to think that all they can think of is presents and more presents.

Sandra xxxx

Anonymous said...

My worst memory is the year my sister and I were home alone and we opened every gift under the tree.  We methodically re-wrapped them so nobody knew what we had done.  Later we both agreed that it had taken all the surprise and excitement out of Christmas day.  To this day I have no desire to open a gift before the actual day.  Pennie

Anonymous said...

I have some wonderful memories of Christmas, also some of the worst. But Christmas will always be special with my little grandchildren, who light up my life. Take care of your back; my son coughed the other day and ended up in casualty with his back. It's true. Not exactly what he needed just before Christmas, he runs his own little business and cannot work until it heals.
Sylvia xx

Anonymous said...

Make sure to take an anti inflamatory for your back on a regular basis to get it back in shape.
Your mama was a wise woman.

Anonymous said...

Penny, I hope your back feels better soon. I was flat on my back the same time as you.  Don't have a clue what I did, but wow, I was down and out.  Much better now...some ice, then heat, and lots of Motrin seemed to do the trick.

Your December Challenge has brought back many memories.  I have the ones I remember every year, but you have made me really take a walk back through the years and I'm glad you did, and I have.

Anonymous said...

even when a memory begins to fade, it can be made good as new in one second of recollection. Nice stories here...

Jimmy