Day One: A Teapot and A Surprise
It was the first Christmas that Jon and I spent together. We weren't yet engaged, although we would be in a little over a week. We travelled from Vancouver to Lethbridge, Alberta to spend Christmas with his family. It was Christmas Eve and the stockings were hung by the chimney and all that jazz. The kids somehow convinced the adults that they should get to open, not one, but all of their gifts that night. (My strong opinions about waiting until Christmas morning to open gifts is a whole other story). So, the kids opened their gifts...they weren't allowed to play with them though because they had to go to bed. (Does anyone else think that's worse than just making them wait until the next morning to open the gifts?). The kids were nestled into bed with visions of sugarplums and the toys they couldn't yet play with. And then it was time for the adults to open their gifts.
I had been so privileged as to be allowed to participate in the family gift exchange. Jon's brother-in-law had my name. When it was my turn to open my gift, I unwrapped a teapot. Just what I had asked for. Perfect. I was happy. I said my thank you's and placed it on the floor in front of me.
And Jon's sisters quickly chided me for not looking inside the teapot. I felt such shame that I hadn't properly admired the gift--maybe they would think I didn't like it. So, I quickly picked the teapot back up and took off the lid.
Tucked inside were three dainty pairs of..well...there's no other way to say this...three dainty pairs of panties. And, of course, Jon's sisters made me hold them up for the family to see.
That was my induction into the family. And that is likely the last time that Sid asked Jenn to do his Christmas shopping for him.
I think this is also the Christmas when most of the family got the stomach flu....which meant that Owen (Jon's brother-in-law...and mine, now, too) suddenly had a strong aversion to shrimp after getting the stomach flu the night we ate a pasta dish with shrimp in it. And of course, that meant that a few days later Jenn made pancakes for us for breakfast...and made a special shrimp pancake for Owen...he ate the whole thing before realizing there was something fishy about it.
And that was only the beginning of that Christmas...because a few days after the shrimp pancake episode, Jon and I flew to France. More on that later. Maybe.
1 comment:
Aw! Lethbridge - the sunny south (nice to have new clothes and warm tea to enjoy in the sunny south) What a laugh! and what a funny start to your new life with your new family!
Post a Comment