Christmas is for the kids. No question about it. The big question comes early Christmas morning. The children are up early. Anxious to see what Santa Claus had brought them.

I recall some of those mornings vividly.

My wife Mary Lourdes and I were up late laying out Santa’s gifts. Our children numbered four. Four pregnancies in four years. Four births in five. One boy, three girls. John, Beth, Lori and Lisa. We learned how to make babies early. My wife being a good Catholic contributed. She refused to practice birth control. There was a fifth pregnancy which she lost. It taught her the importance of birth control.

We had a set routine for Christmas morning. No one went downstairs to see without Mom and Dad. My kids who all slept late, never slept late on Christmas morning. They were all up and in our bedroom between 5 and 6. Woke us up, insisting it was time to see what Santa Claus had brought.

Mary Lourdes and I were exhausted. We had not gotten to bed till 2 or 3 am.

They were relentless. We had to rise and go see. No returning to bed for them.

We led them downstairs to the living room and the tree and hopefully Santa’s gifts.

They attacked the tree and gifts with an exuberance special to Christmas morning. They went crazy. Yelling and screaming “He came!” Laughing and tearing into the gifts.

I recall specifically two of those Christmas mornings.

John was our oldest. It was his time for a large two wheel bike. Santa had left a 26 inch two wheeler. John lost it! He never expected a big bicycle. He cried.

In those days, large gifts were sold not put together. It took me two hours to put the bike together the night before. My work was well worth it when I viewed John’s reaction.

A Lisa experience remains in my mind these many years later. Lisa was the fourth and youngest of our children. She was around two years old at the time. The last down the stairs and the last to attack Santa’s gifts. She had dolls, bears and what have you. Plus clothes. Mary Lourdes always used Santa to bring new clothes for the children also.

We watched happily the joy Santa had brought the children. We watched their playing joyfully with their new toys. Everyone noisy, except Lisa. Recall a mere two years old. She was sitting on the floor playing with the hangers that had accompanied her new clothes. Not the dolls or stuffed animals. Simple metal hangers.

There is another Christmas tree story that has remained with us over the years. I had a 20 x 40 foot family room constructed onto our first home. Big enough to accommodate our family of six. Large enough for two sofas. two barka lounges, a piano, TV set and numerous end tables.

It was Christmas time. A few days before. Everyone was out except me. I was sitting in one corner of the family room reading. It was early afternoon. Heavy snow could be seen out the large windows. The decorated Christmas tree in the opposite corner.

Suddenly my eyes saw a flicker. It looked like the huge 19 foot fully decorated Christmas tree was falling. It was. Slowly but surely.

I rushed to it. Was able to grab onto the top part. There I stood holding the tree on a 45 degree angle. I knew if it hit the floor, the decorations would be a mess. Lights, balls and tinsels all over the place.

There were no cell phones in those days. The family room had a plugged in phone on a wall farthest from me. No way I could get to the phone without losing the tree.

I stood there holding it for 3 hours before the family returned. First cries of shock from them. Then laughs at how stupid I looked holding the tree from its topside.

I had done a good job. Only ten percent of the decoration had fallen off. We replaced the tree in it setting. Secure this time. Mary Lourdes and the kids fixed the decorations.

The scene and story was especially funny to them then. It became a topic of recollection at Christmas time for years following. I was the brunt of a humorous Christmas story for years.

So much for Christmas morning and the falling tree.

I remained home alone last night. Developed a bad stomach and upchucking earlier in the day. No mood for eating nor did I want to spread whatever I had to anyone else. Feel fine this morning. My request to Corey and Robert was to bring me the Italian Christmas cookies Lisa had baked for me to consume today.

Remember Mark Kelly. May he be our President in 2028. 

Enjoy your Christmas Day. A very Merry Christmas to one and all!