Christmas memories warm holiday

SANDPOINT — Presents, by now, have been unwrapped in a frenzy of paper-tearing, ribbon-ripping and tissue-flying madness.

Toys have been pulled from their boxes and immediately put from the test, clothes tried on and stockings examined for goodies.

And, a little bit later in the day, family and friends will gather around the table for fellowship and Christmas dinner.

It is the making of another holiday memory that we will put away to treasure and pull out to warm a cold winter night, joining those from years past and those from Christmases yet to come.

Christmas memories are special for other people as well. For some, it’s a scene out of “A Christmas Story” with a gift-gone-awry from a beloved relative such as Ralph’s giant pink bunny suit. For others, it’s finding out that cookies and milk left out for Santa Claus were enjoyed by the Jolly Old Elf sometime during his magical trip around the world.

For students at Sandpoint Waldorf School, Christmas is made special by everything from spending time with family to enjoying good food to favorite presents. Below, the students share their favorite Christmas memories and what make the holiday special for them.

Grade 2:

Ben — “I like Christmas because I get presents. I like that we go skiing. I like the good food, especially the apple pie.”

Arie — “My best Christmas was my uncle helped me learn my football stance. I opened my presents and I went out and sledded.”

See CHRISTMAS, Page 9

Josie — “My best Christmas was my favorite. I saw my cat on a Christmas present and it was cute.”

Emory — “My best Christmas was when my brother, who is 16, gave me a iPod. I love my big brother and he loves me.”

Owen — “My best Christmas was when I woke up and it was Christmas. I got to spend time with my family. We had good food and lots of joy.

Will — “I ran up the stairs and I saw a tipi. I did not ask for one but I loved having it. That was my best Christmas. It was last Christmas.”

Violett — “Jesus Christ in a barn in a bed was the best Christmas because he was born to protect us. He has been kind to everybody in this world.”

Kailee — “This is my favorite Christmas, I woke up and I went to the Christmas tree, my cat was scratching up the presents.”

Priya — “Waking up on Christmas Day on a warm island and having a fun day.”

Kysa — “When I got out of bed I woke up my mom and my dad and we went looking under the tree. We found a lot of presents there. We had a beautiful Christmas together.”

Boston — “My best Christmas was my third Christmas. I got a jeep. I got a teddy bear.”

Sam — “When I went upstairs I saw a lot of presents. It was snowing outside and it was warm inside.”

Silas — “My favorite Christmas was when I got my ice dragon. Christmas is my favorite holiday because there are presents.”

Grade 3:

Oliver — “After skiing one Saturday my family and I went to our friends’ to cut our Christmas tree. I liked walking through the woods. My mom picked one out and my dad cut it down. We carried it to our truck and drove it home. The next night after skiing we decorated it. My dad had to cut off some because it was too tall to fit in the room.”

Quinn — “I like putting up our Christmas tree. We have a lot of ornaments. Most of them are balls. One of my favorite ornaments is a Santa shaped like a tree. He has a squirrel sticking out of him, hay for a crown and dangly legs.”

Nina — “I remember one Christmas when the power was out. So we lit the woodstove and had to eat bread that we wrapped in tin foil and put on the stove to toast.”

Sabrina — “At Christmas, I help set up the tree, set on the lights, and help put on the ornaments. On my very first Christmas I got a giraffe in my stocking. I always sleep with him. He comforts me when I am scared and when I am sad. I also have a very special ornament that is always on the tree. It’s a little cup that says Baby’s First Christmas 2004. It has a baby bunny on pillows and a mobile. I got it when I was 8 months old.”

Owen — “One Christmas, Santa wrote a note and put it on the Christmas tree. It said that he dropped a present and he would bring it back in a week. A week passed and it didn’t come yet. So we waited for a week more. Then I went outside and looked on the table and there was a present. I took it inside and my brother and I unwrapped it. It was a Lego garbage truck!”

Brooks — “This Christmas my family and I went to the woods to cut a Christmas tree. It took a long time to pick a good one. Finally my mom found a good one and we chopped it down and dragged it to my house. It was very tall and furry. It was hard but fun too. We decorated it and when it was done it looked very good.”

Mira — “One of my favorite Christmases was at my papa’s house. Audi’s family came up from Twin Falls and Oregon. I stayed up very late and played cards with my family and then my sister and I had to go to bed. When I got up in the morning, I had a new stuffed animal and a new comforter! I was already excited so I got up and ran into the living room. My stocking was stuffed full to the top. I looked around the room and sitting on the couch was Audi’s dad. He looked as if he was asleep (but he wasn’t). He got up and helped me get my stocking off the hook and just then my sister came out of the bedroom and then everybody started to wake up except Audi’s brother who we had to wake up for breakfast which was homemade cinnamon rolls and Italian sausages.”

Sophie — “Last year, my family and I went to Nampa for Christmas. When we got back home, we found a decorated tree, presents, and soup. It was like we came home from a party, and I felt like it was still Christmas. The next morning we went out to our grandparent’s house. There were even more presents for us there.”

West — “One wonderful Christmas when I was fast asleep, Santa came. That year our house didn’t have a chimney. Well, that Christmas Eve night one of the reindeers dropped his harnesses that had bells on it. In the morning my dad was on the roof and he found the harness. We still have it in our Christmas box.”

Leila — “Last year after Christmas my dad was fixing the toilet and I walked in to tell him that lunch was ready. I saw the BIGGEST stuffed bunny I had ever seen! It had a note tied on its bow that said: “Dear Mya, I am so sorry the bunny fell off my sleigh last night so I sent my elves to get it. Love, Santa” Then I yelled “Mya!” to my sister and she came running. When she saw the bunny, she picked it up and flinged it in the air. Then I read the note to her.”

Jordan — “On Christmas Eve my family always opens one present. Well, sometimes my sister Sloan and I open two presents. Last year, we went out in the woods to cut down our tree. Every Christmas we cut off the bottom of our tree and my dad writes on it. He writes the year and where we live. We save the stumps and take them out at Christmas.”

Della — “My favorite Christmas tree ornament is a beautiful ballerina. She has a poofy pink tutu and beautiful blonde hair. I usually put her on the Christmas tree. She is a beautiful ornament.”

Liadan — “On Christmas morning my sister and I run to my parents’ room and wake them up. We all go down the stairs and open presents. Then we make breakfast. It is special to celebrate Christmas with my family.”

Lukas — “I got my favorite Christmas tree ornament from my Uncle Al. It’s the White House with golden snowflakes and a man and a woman sitting in a sleigh and a man holding the reins of two horses.”

Grade 4:

Nadine — “When I was 5 I got my dog.”

Blake — “I got my first bike when I was 6.”

Tom — “My brothers and I received a small tipi to play in.”

Nikolai — “When I was 7 we celebrated Christmas in Costa Rica.”

Charlie — “When I was 8 my aunt gave me my dog as an early Christmas present.”

Hattie — “When I lived in our Sagle house and we cut down our Christmas tree.”

Tyler — “When Crista came into my life at Christmas when I was 8 years old.”

Baden — “When I was 7, my cousin came to visit and we went skiing together.”

Coltan — “I got a go-kart for Christmas when I was 8.”

Grade 6:

Maren — “Every Christmas Eve I go to my grandparents’ house with my cousins. We start the night by eating a big dinner and dessert. I always bring gingerbread men which everyone loves. Then we all pass around a few Christmas books and read them. Then we open one present — it is always pajamas. Once we get home my family always reads another Christmas book and then we try to go to bed.”

Ryan — “When my family lived in California, my Mom’s extended family came for dinner and to give presents. My favorite part was sitting around the Christmas tree with my aunts, grandma and uncles. Normally they come around 5 p.m. but this year it is just my grandma. I am very excited to have her here the whole day!”

Allura — “I remember my 8th Christmas.  I was so upset because I thought I did not get a bike which I really wanted. Instead my parents sent me on a whole treasure hunt to find the bike. Riding on the snow on my brand new bike was so much fun.”

Chloe — “One Christmas morning my brother and I woke up at 5 a.m. We woke up our parents singing, “We wish you a merry Christmas.” My mom made coffee and my dad made Swedish pancakes. Then we all sat down and watched the sunrise. It was beautiful! First gold, then pink and you could still even see the stars!”

River — “I have a ton of favorite Christmas stories but one of them was very funny. Santa Claus came to my grandma’s house and you know the rule, you have to be in bed before Santa comes so I ran to my grandma’s bed and my cousin ran after Santa Claus!”

Nina — “Every year my sister and I wake up very early and go see what is in our stockings but we do not touch it until everyone is up (which only takes a couple of minutes). Also every year my mom makes steamed pudding. It is very, very, very good. And when Christmas is over my birthday is two days later!”

Kaysia — “One of my favorite memories of Christmas is one year my mom wanted to make us an ice skating rink in our big field. She let the hose run for a while, until to our surprise the pipes froze. I was at my dad’s house on Christmas morning getting ready for my Mom’s when we heard the news. Instead of staying at my Mom’s with no water we went to Hot Springs! We got new bathrobes and had a great time at Hot Springs.”

Grade 7:

Lily — “The inviting present under the Christmas tree pulls gently on my imagination like a small child pulls their parent’s hand in the light.”

Farli — “There stood the huge Christmas tree laden with ornaments and glowing lights and a metal star on its tip; it stood there erect and straight looking like a soldier would, ready at any moment to protect his castle.”

Marshall — “I remember the beautiful Christmas tree standing in the corner by the window filling the dark room with its sparkling white light, like sunlight shining on the cold, hard snow in the morning bringing Christmas joy to all.”

Soncirey  — “I walked out on the cold snow. My parents were behind me, dressed like eskimos, talking to the owner of the magical Christmas tree farm. They were talking the high price down on the magnificent blue spruce we had picked; its pine needles glistened beautifully with snow.”

Alyssa — “It was Christmas, I was 6 and everything was magical and beautiful. I ran down the stairs, tripping on my Barbie nightgown. I dashed to the tree and there it was, sitting there silently … a giant purple unicorn!”

Wolf — “I remember the glowing candles in the night of Christmas Even, the birthday of the son of God. The sun came up and the Christmas tree was glistening with the small plastic ornaments and the new gifts.”

Anonymous — “One dark Christmas Day, I woke up to see a tall, big tree with lots of pretty presents under it; some were big and some were small but mine was the awesomest of them all.”

John — “It was Christmas. I got out of my bed. I ran to the tree. There were so many presents under it. I ran to wake up my cousin; we opened ten of them and that was my memory of Christmas.”

Anonymous — “I sit in my warm pajamas on my grandparents’ couch listening to them read us our favorite Christmas story. My cousin sits next to me listening as intently as I am. We hear the Polar Express train whistle blow loudly.”