Christmas with the Combs

Monday, December 27, 2004

Being with all the family once again had been wonderful. There were many lovely Christmas memories.

On Friday, she received a soft pair of knit brown patterned Norwegian winter socks and a silver thumb ring from the Silverspoons, with some other nice things from the family and Shepherd. It was all thoughtful of everyone. And then there was a hot bowl of potato soup for dinner before the candlelight Christmas Eve service. Somehow she managed to come through it, after nearly passing out earlier that afternoon. Then it happened again while she was in the shower Sunday morning. But there seemed a semi-explanation for it, on top of the cold she had had for several weeks.

Then there was Saturday. Good old Christmas Day on a Saturday – perfect timing that year. In the morning she woke up to a terrible burning around her eyes, which was remedied later.

However, under the Christmas tree there was a lovely burgundy and gold-beaded bag from OLeif. She was quite surprised, for they had decided not to give each other gifts that year. But there it was, and on a small slip of paper he had written in his peculiarly ancient writing, “to my Collette”. And next to it sat their small red straw basket filled with chocolates. Inside the bag was a lovely floating frame with a black and white copy of the family Christmas picture. It was perfect, and it was soon hung next to the whole Snicketts/Black family picture already on the living room wall.

At the house that morning there was monkey bread and many thoughtful beautiful presents.

Dad finally got his copy of “Robinson Crusoe on Mars”, after Carrie-Bri had searched numerous Internet pages and Robinson-Crusoe-on-Mars-Freak-chat-rooms. Then Carrie-Bri had been generous as usual with her gifts for everyone, as had Rose. Sweet little Joe had done his own Christmas shopping and had driven to Target the previous morning by himself. He had insisted doing it on his own with his own money. Later, Carrie and Kitts had seen him out driving by himself, “looking so cute”, as Carrie had told her later.

For Linnea Joe had bought a thick Veggie Tales coloring book, for Francis – a mini nerf gun, for Carrie-Bri – a small silver charm of the year “2005” for when she was in New York City at New Year’s Eve (which the kitty had promptly torn off its wrapping paper and left lying on the kitchen floor), for OLeif – a set of headphone adapters, for Collette – a beautiful European library lamp in a soft golden buttercream, for Dad – a small maglite, and for Mom – a pillar candle.

“It’s vanilla,” Joe said with a proud smile, when she opened it.

Mom just had to give him a hug when she opened it.

And then for OLeif and Collette, there had been a set of foreign bread oils, and a lovely Christmas card that Dad had hand-written. Collette had read the kind card and saw that there was a check enclosed for “all her hours of tutoring along with Christmas” and as she finished reading, and turned it over, her eyes opened widely as she looked up at Mom and Dad.

“Dad?” She couldn’t quite believe her eyes, “Dad?”

Dad just smiled and nodded. She gave him a hug and thanked him later. Somehow they never needed to say much between them; they just understood.

And while the others squealed and oohed and aahed, and became quite speechless (particularly when Francis opened his Lego helicopter set from Carrie-Bri, and Linnea unwrapped her Liberty-Belle doll) the morning went on with laughter and joking.

And the kitties batted the bells on the Christmas tree, pulled the sad little pine branches off the bottom, and gnawed on the lights until they glowed in the far recesses of their little throats.

Then it was off for celebrating at the Combs’ house with Grandma as well. It was always a delightful time there, as were all the other Combs/Snicketts holidays. It was laid-back, easy-going, and a time of laughter and being perfectly at ease with one another. And of course, to kick everything off this time with a bang, there was Napoleon Dynamite. A perfect way to begin the holidays. There was Clue and chocolates and snowmen.

Grandma gave Collette and OLeif a set of snowmen hand towels and a soap bottle of a snowman. Then there were beaded snowflake ornaments from the Combs, plus a delightful box of fudge! Collette would never be allowed to forget the Christmas she ate all the fudge at Grandpa and Libby’s before the Combs even arrived.

Lucia would prod her every time they met with, “And Collette ate all the fudge!”

Lucia was thrilled with her cheese and olives.

“I love it; I’m not even kidding,” she insisted with a big smile.

Then there were the stories while everyone talked and Carrie-Bri, Lucia, and Linnea played Clue. There was salami and cheese upstairs, nuts, codfish balls with crackers, and other Christmas foods.

Then there was the tale of how Lucia and Queens went to visit the Engine 1 Firehouse where Grandma volunteered. And much to Grandma’s embarrassment, the girls took a tour with a “hot” fireman, expressing alleged interest in one day becoming fire women. Naturally in actuality, they simply wanted to be escorted around a firehouse by a “hot” firefighter. However, they managed to humiliate themselves as Queens began asking dumb questions such as pointing to the water hose and asking, “What’s this for?” Conveniently for the fireman, the alarm sounded shortly after, and it was time for them to leave. Carrie-Bri suggested that perhaps the fireman had pulled the alarm on purpose to make an excuse to get rid of them. Lucia did not agree, of course.

It was a very good evening.