Off To Grandma’s House We Go.
A lot of people dislike the holidays, but I’ve never been one of them. As a kid I used to look forward to them from the beginning of the year, and I always felt that they couldn’t get here soon enough. Our holidays were always spent at my Grandparents house. Although through the many years of traveling these trips and the many different vehicles the one I remember the most was the station wagon.
FDad would pack it as much and tightly as possible with just leaving enough room to get himself, Fmom and us six kids into it. It was a 260-mile drive from where we lived to our Grandparents house and with all of us in the station wagon; the trips would go from singing and laughing to sibling arguments and battles. I mostly remember those trips as being good with the anticipation building with each mile closer we got to my Grandparents house. FDad always had the certain places he would stop on the trip. When I was that young, I didn’t remember the stops by town or the gas stations, but by what FDad got us. It was usually only a couple of stops, but I remember them as one, the barbecue sandwich and coke stop and two, the root beer float stop. Of course he always had his strategic bathroom stops for FMom and my sisters, but for the male part of the family it would be a pull over to a wooded area and run out there and get right back in. For the very youngest of the brothers, out of diapers and who couldn’t wait, it would be an empty coke bottle. I know, gross, but I wonder how many other families have done that too. Also you have to remember this was before 4-lanes were everywhere, and some gas stations were far and few between.
The trips were always good, but getting to Grandma’s house was the best. We were usually the last to get there and my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins would all be waiting for us. In my family we all loved each other, but I guess just as importantly we all liked each other. I can’t seem to recall any member of the entire family that wasn’t glad to see each, and ready to talk and get caught up on what’s been going on with each other. Of course we kids were ready to get caught up and tear through the house and outside looking for adventures. After everything had settled down, Fmom and my sisters would head out to the kitchen with Grandma and my aunts to start getting as much completed before the T’giving meal the next day as they could. We kids were oblivious to anything that needed to be done, because we happy to see our cousins our age and knew there would be nothing but fun and play this entire trip.
The next day, the entire mindset was the food. Grandma was always a great cook, but it seemed that each year she would outdo herself. At our holiday meals it just wasn’t the immediate family either. Whether it was friends of my Grandparents or elderly relatives whose children couldn’t be home with them, or friends of my aunts/uncles/parents we would always have 5 to 10 extra people eating with us. Grandma always had the best food and plenty of it. No one would come away from her table hungry.
Now Thanksgiving was just a build up to the most wonderful of holidays for a kid – Christmas. We had gotten to see everybody, but we knew that in one month we would all be back together again and this time there would be………wait for it………..PRESENTS! Oh how I loved and still do this holiday season.
Whether you have family coming to you, or you’re going home. I sincerely hope you have a joyous family filled holiday.
FDad would pack it as much and tightly as possible with just leaving enough room to get himself, Fmom and us six kids into it. It was a 260-mile drive from where we lived to our Grandparents house and with all of us in the station wagon; the trips would go from singing and laughing to sibling arguments and battles. I mostly remember those trips as being good with the anticipation building with each mile closer we got to my Grandparents house. FDad always had the certain places he would stop on the trip. When I was that young, I didn’t remember the stops by town or the gas stations, but by what FDad got us. It was usually only a couple of stops, but I remember them as one, the barbecue sandwich and coke stop and two, the root beer float stop. Of course he always had his strategic bathroom stops for FMom and my sisters, but for the male part of the family it would be a pull over to a wooded area and run out there and get right back in. For the very youngest of the brothers, out of diapers and who couldn’t wait, it would be an empty coke bottle. I know, gross, but I wonder how many other families have done that too. Also you have to remember this was before 4-lanes were everywhere, and some gas stations were far and few between.
The trips were always good, but getting to Grandma’s house was the best. We were usually the last to get there and my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins would all be waiting for us. In my family we all loved each other, but I guess just as importantly we all liked each other. I can’t seem to recall any member of the entire family that wasn’t glad to see each, and ready to talk and get caught up on what’s been going on with each other. Of course we kids were ready to get caught up and tear through the house and outside looking for adventures. After everything had settled down, Fmom and my sisters would head out to the kitchen with Grandma and my aunts to start getting as much completed before the T’giving meal the next day as they could. We kids were oblivious to anything that needed to be done, because we happy to see our cousins our age and knew there would be nothing but fun and play this entire trip.
The next day, the entire mindset was the food. Grandma was always a great cook, but it seemed that each year she would outdo herself. At our holiday meals it just wasn’t the immediate family either. Whether it was friends of my Grandparents or elderly relatives whose children couldn’t be home with them, or friends of my aunts/uncles/parents we would always have 5 to 10 extra people eating with us. Grandma always had the best food and plenty of it. No one would come away from her table hungry.
Now Thanksgiving was just a build up to the most wonderful of holidays for a kid – Christmas. We had gotten to see everybody, but we knew that in one month we would all be back together again and this time there would be………wait for it………..PRESENTS! Oh how I loved and still do this holiday season.
Whether you have family coming to you, or you’re going home. I sincerely hope you have a joyous family filled holiday.
posted by Family Man | 3:45 AM
<< Home