Mum asked me what I want for Christmas this year. A typical 15 year old girl like me would say new phone, clothes, money but no. You know what I want? I want a nice normal Christmas dinner at home with my dad, mum and two brothers. Like the American white Christmas’ you see on TV instead of the 4 days of Christmas down under. Christmas morning always goes to plan. We all wake up, the boys Tom and Max, especially early. The video camera comes out and dad automatically turns into a director. Smile for the camera” “No, the photo cannot happen there, the lightning is all wrong. ” Tom, Max and Dad end up outside like usual testing out the new sports equipment. Mum and I sit at the kitchen window, sipping our coffee and making bets on how long the equipment will be used until thrown into the shed with all the other forgotten Christmas presents. Lunch is usually at Aunty Sue and Uncle Keith’s place with our overly peppy cousins. They live in Uncle Keith’s childhood house and so it’s dated back to the 1940’s.
Their house is ancient. No air conditioner or heating and on a 39 degree Christmas day with a turkey cooking in the oven is equivalent to sitting in a sauna for 3 hours. Tea is at home with the people from lunch and some more other friends and relatives. Tea is a lot more fun and relaxed. I’m not sure if it’s because of the fact that I’m in my own house or that we get to go for a swim to cool off. It’s normally a late now with a lot of champagne bottles and hangovers the next morning.
The Essay on No Christmas Mom House Couldn
When Christmas Couldn't Come We lived in the farmhouse until my dad lost his job in 1994. No longer able to afford a mortgage, let alone utilities in the old, drafty house we moved into a smaller house two doors down. My mom called the new house "cozy" - making the best of a situation I couldn't begin to understand; words like "WIC", "welfare" and "debt" meant nothing to me at the time. I missed ...
Boxing Day for my family is not about cleaning up the wrapping paper and empty packing but opening up more presents. Boxing Day is designated for my Dad’s side of the family and that’s where the family feuds usually start. My Uncle Sid and Nanna don’t get along too well. Both are strongly opinionated and both hate being wrong. First it starts with the food and then the Boxing Day Test and after that it is just anything and everything that they argue about. When the swear words start to come out, Uncle Sid’s wife Aunt Nelly, moves all the kids outside to the BBQ area.
The next day we’re up early to take a lovely hour and a half drive to visit my great aunty and uncle, Kay and Frank. They never had kids so they lots of money saved up. They have just built a new house and it is absolutely beautiful with marble benches, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 lounge rooms and a study. I love going to their house, not only to see it but because they spoil us rotten. Actually now that I think back on it, my 3 days of Christmas isn’t all that bad. As much as bouncing around from place to place annoys me, there are some pretty good advantages to it all.
Even though I may gain 15 kilos after the 3 days but the food is mouth-watering and I don’t have the will power to stop myself. Of course 3 days of non-stop presents is nothing to complain about and being surrounded by my gorgeous family, my smile never leaves my lips. I might go change my wish list because who knows how long I have left with these wonderful people. I shouldn’t be taking the Christmas holidays for granted because I may be jealous of other families traditional Christmas’s but they may be jealous of my weird yet amazing 3 days of Christmas.
