Christmas makes for magical memories

SANDPOINT — Christmas is magic.

The crisp, freshly fallen snow crunches beneath our feet. Laughter rings throughout the cold, still air as snowball fights break out during the important business of building a snowman. The wind whistling past your ears as you race your sled down a mountain of snow. A steaming cocoa with marshmallows oozing into the rich, chocolate deliciousness finds its way into your hands as you stumble inside, stomping the snow from your boots.

A freshly-cut pine tree, memory-filled ornaments and family and loved ones gathered around, carols playing softly in the background as the tree is decorated. Stockings truly are hung by the fireplace with care, a fire (real or electric) keeping the chill at bay amid the breathless anticipation of a magical and memory-filled season.

Heading off to church for Christmas Eve midnight services, the world silent and quiet as you make your way there, Christmas songs joyfully sung by those packing the pews.

Then, when all is done and the house is settling down from the hustle and bustle of the day, a plate of cookies and a glass of milk find their way onto the mantle, followed by sneaking downstairs to see if Santa has come by on his lightning trek around the world.

That same sense of magic and wonder fill the Christmas memories of students at Sandpoint Waldorf School. For some, it is waking up — over and over again — checking to see if Santa Claus has visited; for others it’s a special Christmas breakfast, surrounded by family, laughing and telling stories.

Below, the students share their favorite memories and Christmas stories.

First grade

Cora — “Once, I was so excited I opened the wrong present!”

Emery — “Every day I have a calendar with treats in it and they have numbers by them and each day we open one.”

Deacon — “I remember when I was 4 or 5 the snow was super-duper deep.”

Fate — “This was a long time ago, I asked Santa if I could have magical crystals. So we put out a plate of cookies and in the morning all the cookies were gone and a light-up crystal was in its place.”

Lila — “I remember when my whole family came downstairs and mommy said we couldn’t peek until daddy came downstairs. I peeked a little bit because I was so excited.”

Phoebe — “I remember waiting so much because I wanted to open al the presents.”

Elaina — “I remember last Christmas we made cookies to hang on the tree.”

Adria ­ “One time last Christmas I got Husker, my dog, as an early Christmas present.”

Tiana ­ “One time, I closed my eyes while I was opening a present and I could feel it was soft and when I opened it, it was a very pretty scarf.”

Second grade

Cody — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I got a piano.”

Sage — “My favorite Christmas memory is when my cousins came to visit.”

Olivia — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I got my ice skates.”

Mason — “My favorite Christmas memory is my mom videoing Santa.”

Zoe — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I was in Yakima and I saw Santa’s sleigh.”

Rowan — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I was a baby and there was a picture taken of my entire family.”

Emilia — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I was a year old. We got our very own first ornament.”

Nathan — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I had Thanksgiving on Christmas.”

Brookelyn — “My favorite Christmas memory is last year when we had a 12’ Christmas tree.”

Willow — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I went to my friend Ollie’s house and we went on her sleigh pulled by her horse.”

Everett — “My favorite Christmas memory is we get Christmas presents from Mr. C. It is so much fun!

Hanna — “My favorite Christmas memory is every year we go on a cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene and you see Santa and Mr. Grinch.”

Alex — “My favorite Christmas memory is I always go to my Grandma’s house and sometimes I stay home.”

Maryah — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I got an American Girl doll.”

Liam — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I went to my Grandma’s house.”

Opal — “My favorite Christmas memory is when my mom made me a new doll after I lost mine. She gave me the new one for Christmas.”

Henry — “My favorite Christmas memory is seeing the Christmas tree lit up in the morning.”

Third grade

Kahlina — “My favorite Christmas was when I went to my nana and papa’s house. The power went out and it was out for two days and on Christmas morning we had not opened our presents. We had to eat food and wanted to make pancakes and the power was not on still. We started to make pancakes and the power came on and we ate food and we opened presents.

Calem — “My favorite Christmas memory takes place in Colorado. I was five years old, now I am nine. I was sitting under the tree in wonder. I got a big bike. It was too big. I still have it.”

Larisa — “My favorite Christmas memory is waking up on Christmas morning by the noise of the dishes and running down the stairs. Together at the table, me and my family celebrating Christ was born and looking at the yummy Christmas breakfast and dinner that my mom made and it took two or three days.”

Trace — “I like to wrap presents for people. I like to give and receive presents. I like to go downstairs on Christmas morning and see the tree with presents under it.”

Owen — “My favorite Christmas was when I got a semi nine shot automatic 22 from my Uncle Lane. It was kind of funny because he said it was a marshmallow roaster because he didn’t want to tell me what it was.”

Josie — “I’m excited whenever I am making and decorating Christmas trees and gingerbread.”

Jerusalem — “This will be my first Christmas in America. I am excited to give presents to my family and my teacher. It will be fun to watch them open their presents. It will be fun to open my presents too! So far, my favorite Christmas song is ‘The First Noel’. My mama is also sending presents to Uradi’s Village back in Ethiopia where I used to live. I love my mom.”

Polina — “My favorite Christmas memory is making a gingerbread house with my family. We used graham crackers to make the walls and we used frosting to keep the graham crackers together. We used candy to decorate it.”

Izzy — “My favorite Christmas memory is on Christmas eve when we were at Grandma and Grandpa’s house with my cousins. We were all trying to fall asleep because we were all in the same room. We finally fell asleep. In the morning we woke up at 5:15 but our parents said we had to wait until 6:10 to go up and look in our stockings. The only one who had a watch was one of my cousins named Quinten. Then we waited and waited and waited and waited and then finally it was 6 a.m. Then we waited another five minutes and when it was 6:05 we all lined up at the door in a racing stance and when the clock struck 6:10 we all went running as fast as we could up the stairs and went straight to our stockings.”

Avery — “My favorite Christmas memory is my sixth Christmas. My first Christmas in Idaho. I was so excited. I woke up and I ran down the stairs and I looked at the red blanket and I got a little scared. I told my dad. He asked me, ‘What do you think it is?’ I yelled, ‘I don’t know, just pull it off!’ He did. I was practically crying I was so happy. It was my dog Paisley. Well you know how eager you are sometimes when you have like hundreds and hundreds of presents under the tree. Paisley came over to me and helped me open my presents. That is my favorite Christmas.”

Oscar — “My Christmas last year I got a Lego city. It was awesome!

Fourth grade

Brogan — “I like when I wake up on Christmas morning and everyone else is waiting for me around the Christmas tree.”

Hope — “Waking up in the morning, I go and wake up my grandma, parents, and my brother.”

Callahan — “Christmas is one day closer to soccer season. I like it when there is snow and I sled and ski with my sister.”

Charlie — “One Christmas I got two doves. They woke me up with their cooing. I still have them.”

Clarity — “We always celebrate with our grandparents so we always have a big potluck because my grandma is a good cook!

Brady — “I like waking up early and waking up my parents and siblings. They tell me to go back to bed, but I sit by the tree and wait. I go ahead and open my stocking.”

Vaughn — “My favorite thing is to wake up early and remember it is Christmas. I go and sit by the tree and wait for my parents to get up.”

Madisen — “When I wake up on Christmas day, I jump on my mom and dad in bed. Then we open presents and eat quiche for breakfast.”

Jasper — “I shake my presents to guess to what they are. I wake up on Christmas around 4 a.m. and try to wake up my mom. She says to go back to bed until 6 a.m.”

Camille — “I like decorating the Christmas tree and opening presents.”

Reese — “I like when you open presents in the morning.”

Fifth grade

Isabelle — “Every year I go over to my grandparent’s house and play with my cousins and open presents.”

Paula — “This year is the first Christmas we have lived in Sandpoint. It will be different.”

Beverly — “When I lived in Germany five years ago, my mom and I were sewing and made many things. Then we watched a movie and ate the traditional Christmas cookies.”

Ethan — “One year I got a full-size drum set. I played it at my school’s talent show.”

Max — “I remember when I got to go skiing on Christmas. I also remember when we got our dog.”

Miles — “I had a party at my grandparents’. We were playing bingo and I lost. I was sitting by the fire and their dog pushed me into it.”

Isadora — “One of my best memories was when my uncle came to visit for Christmas. It was very, very fun.”

Ava — “I remember when we went to Grouse Creek and got a really pretty Christmas tree.”

Aiden — “One time my grandpa came for Christmas. He got us remote control cars.”

Sixth grade

Berkeley — “My favorite Christmas memory is being together as a family and eating delicious dinner. Mostly I love my family time.”

Ethan — “My favorite Christmas memory is when I woke up, went down the stairs and my dad was putting the presents in the car. He asked me to get in the car and we drove to the hospital. When we got to the hospital, my dad took out the presents and brought them into the hospital. We went to the room and I saw my mom with a baby.”

Mya — “My grandfather’s lake house is in Sandpoint. One Christmas I woke up at the lake house with my family and cousins downstairs. We had breakfast then opened presents. I remember my mom telling me to follow a red string. I followed it around the stairs and there in front of me was a piano. My piano.”

Grace — “My favorite Christmas tradition is my mom makes a really yummy Christmas breakfast and freshly squeezed orange juice.”

Silas — “My favorite Christmas memory is waking up at 2 a.m. because I am so excited for the morning.”

Neva — “My favorite Christmas memory was when my mom, grandpa, grandma and I went to get our Christmas tree. Afterward we had hot chocolate and put the tree up.”

Kaiya — “My favorite Christmas tradition is on Christmas Eve, my grandma gives me and my sister and my cousin a stuffed animal and PJs.”

Ada — “My favorite Christmas memory is teaching my cousin how to play a card game and then falling asleep next to the fire in a sleeping bag.”

Nina — “My favorite Christmas memory is eating a fancy breakfast and opening presents with my family.”

Seventh grade

Lark — “One Christmas, after opening presents and eating a delicious breakfast, we realized we didn’t actually have any plans for the day. And then the brilliant idea of sledding came to us! There was only one problem, we didn’t actually have any sleds… So we used something even better, trash bags! It was the best sledding ever! And we were plenty hungry when it came time for dinner.”

Meghan — “I love waking up and smelling the wonderful breakfast my mom has made. The snow is everywhere outside. I love looking at the lit up tree and the many gifts underneath. Our stockings hung, filled with lots of fun stuff.”

Jarrah — “My favorite memory of Christmas is when I had a snowball fight with my friend.”

AJ — “My favorite Christmas memory is spending time with my family eating monkey bread on Christmas Eve.”

Priya — “One of my favorite Christmas memories was when we were in India last year. My cousin and I wore fancy Indian dresses and we went to a big Christmas lunch feast at my relative’s house.”

Kysa — “My favorite Christmas memory is a Christmas Eve day when my family and I went to the movie theater in our pajamas and watched five movies.”

Tivon — “My favorite Christmas memory is when my family donated their Christmas money to a family so they can do Christmas.”

Grade 8

Leila — “Christmas is great because friends and family come together around a tree and eat food and learn more about each other’s lives.”

Kylie — “I like twinkly lights and ice skating and skiing.”

Della — “I love traveling during the winter time. When there is sun instead of cold and sand instead of snow. But I must admit, winter in Sandpoint is pretty rad.”

Anonymous — “My favorite part of this time of year is the smell of Christmas trees, the twinkle of lights, and the company of family.”

Anonymous — “One time my mom stole Christmas. She told us we had to clean the living room or Santa wouldn’t come. We didn’t. When we got downstairs there were no presents but once we cleaned we got them because she had just hidden them in the shed.”

Anonymous — “I love the happiness of people opening presents and the reaction when they open yours.”

Anonymous — “One Christmas when I was either five or six, I went ice skating with Santa in a mall. I was watching an older girl skate with her twirls and spins and I started copying. Of course, I fell right on my tail bone but it was awesome.”

Anonymous — “I enjoy going in the woods and picking out our Christmas tree every year.”

Anonymous — “One of my favorite Christmas memories was on morning I woke up and one of my grandparents, that I had not seen in a long time, was there.