The Christmas season is a huge deal at the Boggs house. Every year during the week of Christmas, my mother forces her children into the holiday spirit. The official Christmas celebration kicks off by building gingerbread houses. To ensure that we have put time and effort into designing them to the best of our ability, she always offers a first-place prize. I have yet to win first-place, so I am starting to think the entire process is rigged.
Next, is the baking of Christmas cookies. We roll out the dough, fight over the Christmas cookie cutouts, and I usually get scolded for trying to make nothing but reindeer. Making reindeer is fitting because I am usually dressed in camouflage and hunter’s orange, because my mom has called me out of my tree stand to come home and bake cookies. My sisters try their best to make the perfect cookie, while I see how many I can eat without getting physically ill. The real fun happens when I eat the cookie that my youngest sister spent thirty minutes applying icing and sprinkles to. She gets furious and I just sit there and smile at her, which makes her more furious.
Then we must all load up in a couple of vehicles and go to Bristol Speedway to drive around the track listening to Christmas music and looking at the Christmas lights. We end the trip by visiting the Christmas village in the center and ice skating as we exit the area. We have been going to the Speedway for as long as I can remember. To be honest, I can name almost every Christmas light that we are going to see. However, I do enjoy ice skating, at least until I crash. Every year, I talk my sisters into racing me while on the ice, and every year I end up flat on my back with the breath knocked out of me, but hey we’re making memories.
Finally, it’s Christmas Eve, A Christmas Story is blasting on the television in the background, and my entire family looks ridiculous in our matching Grinch pajamas. Even though I wouldn’t want to be caught dead in these laughable pajamas, it is a night of games, laughter and celebration. I usually find a way to cheat and win my share of games. Until my sister fusses and complains, and then we are all cheating for her to win.
Even though I act like holiday activities are the most terrible thing imaginable, these are some of the best memories of my life. I plan on sharing them with my children in the future.