Christmas Eve at Grandma’s

Christmas Eve at Grandma’s

Dysfunction at it finest. Food and children in abundance. Sharing of memories and tall tales, what do all these things have in common? Come to Grandmas on Christmas Eve and find out.

Pulling up in the driveway, on Christmas Eve, I tell myself that I am home. I see the children all bundled up in gloves and boggins playing tag in the front yard, and their parents peeping out the windows watching them. Before I can get out of the car I see my older cousins coming to help unload the food and gifts. Walking to the front door I can hear the kids trying to guess which wrapped present belongs to them. My Grandma is at the door wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, as we all hustle in.

At the door I can smell the freshly made rolls and honey baked ham. The smell of pine is strong, grandma always cuts her own pines branches to use as decoration on her doors and tables at Christmas. Passing the dessert table, I see she has been busy cooking apple pie, banana pudding, strawberry jam cake, cheesecake, and double chocolate chip cookies. Walking pass the kitchen to put the presents down by the Christmas tree, I see the counters almost spilling over with fresh vegetables, roast, honey ham, and dinosaur chicken nuggets for the kids. Look! Grandma made my favorite, potato salad. After putting the presents under the Christmas tree, I can go talk to my cousins until the food gets done.

Around 12 o'clock everyone is there and ready to eat. Kids are darting through the food line grabbing a roll or a piece of ham, just to say they ate something ,before heading to the desert table. The adults and teenagers go through the line piling there plates up with their favorite Christmas food. With their plates piled high, they try to find a place to sit. The chairs in the sunroom and dining room are filling up fast. While the parents are eating, I hear the kids telling them to hurry so they can open presents.

After we are all done stuffing our face, it's time to give the kids what they came for. All the little ones go to the sunroom and form a big half circle around the Christmas Tree. The older teens pass out the many gifts trying to give them to the right kid. The parents are taking picture and gathering up the wrapping paper there children have ripped off their gift in excitement. This continues until the last gift is opened and all the children are playing