The Rabid Paladin

I was relating this in our Elders' Quorum meeting yesterday and it occurred to me that this would make a good holiday blog post. For once I'll do something Christmasy before, you know, Christmas.

Anyway, a stroll down memory lane.

This was in the house on Christy Dr., probably just after the twins had been born, but maybe the year after. I finally noticed one Christmas that Mom and Dad's stockings weren't being filled by Santa. I remember asking Mom about it and I believe that the official excuse was that Santa had enough to worry about what with filling the stockings of eleven kids without having to worry about the parents.

That didn't sit well. I'm not sure which of us thought of it and approached the other, but history suggests that it was probably Jannalee who came to me with the idea. Jannalee thought it'd be a good idea if the older kids, the ones who knew about the Santa thing, anyway, got together and filled the stockings for Mom and Dad. I thought the idea was awesome so we started planning.

For this post, bear in mind that pretty much anywhere I say “we”, it probably means Jannalee with possible assistance from me (and more likely hindrance). Jannalee is as organized as Mom. I was lucky to remember to wake up most days. Anyway, I know for certain that Jannalee was in charge of the stocking stuffer idea list. I might have been the only one of us that could drive, I forget, but I remember that we not only parceled out the gifts we'd get personally but also the siblings we would help get their stuff. I'm pretty sure I was the only one with an actual job, though I forget if I was working at Wendy's (now apparently a Mo's Pizza) or the Mall.

I remember that I was in charge of getting Dad some new dress socks (probably on the dubious theory that as a guy, I'd know were to get them). Besides the socks I remember that we got pistachio nuts (a family favorite, but particularly loved by Mom) and we got Mom some of those pantyhose that came in plastic eggs. Jannalee was assigned those as the complimentary theory to me getting the socks. I only just now became aware of the irony of our choosing socks for stocking stuffers. We risked an infinite loop if the Universe had been poorly programmed.

I remember being truly excited on Christmas Eve that first year. I've always been a night person and my bedroom was right next to Mom and Dad's, so I was supposed to make sure we got up after they were done with their bit. I'm pretty sure that my services in this regard weren't required, though. Jannalee may even have come to get me when they were done, I don't know. Anyway, Once they were finished, we got the stocking stuffers together and we filled those two stockings until they were bursting—a fitting match for the others lined up on the fire place (which we did not rifle to see what we were getting. I don't think it even occurred to me to do so).

I remember how excited I was the following morning. I made sure that I was in the living room before Mom and Dad were—I wanted to see their faces as they realized that Santa had filled their stockings. And it turned out to be everything I expected it to be. They were surprised. Shocked even. The very best part, though, was watching them realize that they couldn't say a thing about it—not in front of the other children. Oh man that rocked.

Filling the stockings for Mom and Dad became a yearly tradition from then at least until I left for BYU. Probably then, too, as I'm sure I came home for Christmas.

I'm not sure why Mom and Dad weren't filling their own stockings on Christmas. Things were pretty tight with dad beginning his second career and with the twins filling the family out to an even baker's dozen. Whatever their reasons, I'm glad that they weren't. I was given the opportunity to experience what Christmas really is and, with Jannalee's help, learned to ask the questions that lead to gifts that have more than their intrinsic value.