Every kid got a chance to lick a beater or a scraper. If you’re not big enough to lean over a sink, next best place is on the floor.
Some years, Santa would make an appearance on Christmas Eve. We would know he was near when we could hear the jangling of bells on the reindeer reins outside. In with a load of ho-ho-hos and a big bag of presents. One year, I recall brother Bill was there, and Santa was surprised to see him. Santa had missed him in Washington and was so glad to find him at our house because he still had the present for him.
Santa and kids weren’t very good at holding still for indoor photos. Matt is the little kid in front, and Becky is the blur. After a jolly celebration, Santa would go on his way with a chorus of ho-ho-hos, and jangling jingle bells, disappearing into the distance. Shortly after, our friend Todd would show up to sleep on the couch and join in the Christmas morning celebration. Todd fit right in at our house and was a big help around it whenever he was there.
That’s Mom’s elbow off to the right of the frame. She would sleep upstairs on Christmas Eve so she could be there first thing in the morning. After the kids fell asleep, Santa would fill their stockings upstairs so they could occupy themselves early in the morning. It was a rule at our house that the kids couldn’t come downstairs on Christmas Day until it was light outside. Mom recounted that one year she woke up and Becky was working her way through her Christmas stocking, describing each item out loud as she went. When she was through, she then went through every item in her brother’s stocking before putting everything back together and waking him up!