FINISHING THE YEAR... Odds & ends (Part 167z)

ENDING THE YEAR… Odds & ends (Part 167z)

As you can imagine, with three young children having to pause to watch their mother open a gift did not set well with them. So, we allowed them to continue to 'attack’ their presents with vim and vigor. This, by far, was their best Christmas with more presents being ‘fun’ things rather than clothes as had been the norm in the past. They didn’t escape that part though and the older two were approaching the age where clothes did make a difference. Once all their presents were opened we took a time out for breakfast. The Christmas dinner was planned for 3pm so it was imperative that they get a good breakfast to hold them over. They didn’t think so wanting to get back to inspect just what it was that they received. After eating it was back to opening presents only this time it was Elle’s and my turn. They, now totally involved with their things, gave short shrift to what Elle and I gave each other which gave me the opportunity to ask Elle to take off the new robe and to just be in her nightie. I’m sure I got one of her ‘looks’ but she did respond favorably to my request. The nightie, actually a Christmas present, was her ‘end of the bed’ present from Santa. It was my intention that she wear it during the gift openings thus giving me the opportunity to get a few candid ‘panty peeks’. Before heading down the stairs to light the tree I'd pulled out a pair of “fancy panties” from her drawer. I didn’t push my luck and ask for two which I’m sure enhanced my chances for not having to beg. Here are a few…
       

As you can see it was starting out to be a VERY merry Christmas!

With only three hours sleep we'd started to ‘run out of gas’ at about 10am. That was also about the time when my mother called to say my brother was bringing his girlfriend. (That’s a story in itself… but I’ll spare you.) Mixed in with the gift openings were a number of trips to the kitchen to get the turkey in the oven and to prepare the traditional accompaniments. Since we were hosting both sets of parents we had to uphold some of their family traditions when it came to them. My father wanted turnips and Elle’s mother wanted a dish she called “string bean goo”. It was all good but it meant a lot of work and the potential for a lot of food to be left over. With the news of an added guest I had to rearrange the dining table to accommodate eleven people… around a table designed to hold eight, at most. At least the kids were occupied with their things so weren’t in the way.

Elle’s parents and brother were the first to arrive and, initially, the kids were able to keep them occupied showing them their gifts. I’d managed to get showered so was also free to be with them. Elle’s father, working the long hours he did, seldom visited the house and I could show him some of the progressive things that were done when it was built in 1934. It was one of the early houses built with wall board. The only negative to that was they used way too much “mud’ on the seams which gave the walls a ‘wavy’ appearance.I was hoping my parents would be there soon after as my father and Elle’s father were good friends and could keep each other occupied. What I wasn’t looking forward to was my brother and his new girlfriend. The word awkward doesn’t even come close to describing that situation. In any case, Elle, now showered and dressed, was coming down the stairs when they arrived with my parents. Again, thank goodness for the kids. They were thrilled to be ‘front and center’ showing off the presents. Elle managed to have almost all of the dinner ready at the expected time and it was time for me to ‘shoehorn’ every body into the dining room.(37)
     

All but me...

A tradition is something that is hard to change. When the girls were much younger. and the majority of their presents consisted of clothes, Elle would have them ‘model’ their new things in a fashion show while the table was being cleared for dessert. Both my mother and Elle’s mother thought it was very cute… and it was when they were like four, five and six. But Jean was going to be ten in six months and Anne would be nine in nine months. They no longer thought much of the idea and resisted. It was the first sign of ‘friction’ the whole day. It was my mother who prevailed and convinced them to do it to ’”show off” in front of my brother’s girlfriend. She would be the  judge of who gave the best “performance”; who was the most “professional” and who wore the prettiest dress. To make it enticing, my mother offered prizes, none of which were revealed prior to the show. It bought the needed time to get the coffee made, the pies cut and the dessert plates distributed. The end result… as you probably imagined… they all won and the prize was a crisp new $1 bill from my father.

Dinner had started just after 3pm and by the time it ended it was close to 5pm. My father had a bad eye and hated driving at night so was in a rush to leave. Elle’s father was not used to family gatherings such as this and he was also anxious to leave. As you probably have already figured out, Elle and I were anxious for them to leave… although, if Elle’s mother had stayed she would’ve taken care a major part of the kitchen clean up. As the last of them walked out the door both Elle and I looked at each other and almost simultaneously said we needed a nap… and we were serious. We called the kids together and told them we were going to take a quick nap and we needed them to be very quiet. We we going to be right there in the den and living room and if they made noise to wake us we wouldn’t be very happy… and since it’s been a “happy day” they should try to keep it that way. Elle suggested that they each find a present that they could play with by themselves and they agreed. Elle went upstairs to change into a nightie so she’d be more comfortable. I, for sure, liked that idea and as she headed up the stairs made sure the camera still had film.

When she returned she didn’t have on the nightie I’d bought her for Christmas and asked why not. Again, I address the strange workings of the mind of females because she said she wanted to display it under the tree with her other gifts… and wore the nightie she’d worn to bed. By the time she returned the kids had picked different places on the floor to ‘do their thing’ and Elle proceeded to curl up on the living room sofa. Initially, I thought I’d get a great picture of her backside but she went into the fetal position facing into the room. So as not to be too ‘daring’ she draped a small throw over her hips effectively blocking any chance for a picture. I ended up in my recliner and it took but a few minutes for me to make it into ‘dreamland’.

It was the phone that woke both of us up. I looked at my watch and we’d gotten a little over a half hour of sleep. It was Elle’s mother calling to apologize for not staying to help Elle. It was nice of her to do it but I was still saddled with the job. After hanging the phone up Elle proceeded to check on just what the girls had been doing. I was still in the recliner when I saw her bending at the waist to look at Jean’s ‘project’ and it was a perfect butt shot… except I didn’t have the camera. I remember shaking my head for not being prepared. I got up to view just what the girls had been doing and as I walked into the room I got another chance. It was even better than the previous position as she was on her hands and knees. The camera was on an end table and in a position that I could just grab it and shoot… and I did. It was a late Christmas present.
     

A pair of Van Raalte panties...

To be continued...