The school always had a Christmas program. Each student was given a piece to memorize and say it alone in the middle of the stage. We sang songs like Up on the Housetop, Santa Claus us coming to town ,and Christmas carols. A Christmas play sometimes written by the teacher. Families came and there was cake, cookies and pie to eat after the program.
The Long twins, Irene and Paulene and I, the first graders at Jefferson school were dismissed early for recess and sent to the basement where the stage was set up. We were told not to go on the stage. We talked about not going on the stage and then Irene (I think because she was the daring one) said "Why not?" and slipped behind the curtains. She came back and her sister and I followed her to the stage. We were having great fun in the forbidden territory. We were busted by Carmen Dennis, the second grader who came down for recess. She told the teacher. I don't remember the punishment but there was punishment.
I always worried about getting coal in my stocking for Christmas. We hung our real stockings on the oven door because there was no fireplace and the stove was connected to the chimney. On Christmas morning the stockings contained an orange, pieces of hard candy and unshelled nuts. One or two gifts were on the floor under the stockings. We got toys and games. Sue and I got dolls, tea sets and girl things. The boys got trucks and toy guns and boy things. Blocks and Tinker Toys were always in our toy box.
Christmas morning, in the very cold kitchen, we whispered, ate candy and played with our new toys.
The Christmas Bob, two months old, had pneumonia remains pretty clear. The Goulds were visiting and the house was full of relatives. Mom and Dad were putting on coats and wrapping Bob up and they went to the hospital in Oakland probably 15 miles away. I spent the night at Smith's and remember asking Paul Dee if Bob was going to die. He didn't know. Bob didn't die, of course, he spent his very first Christmas in an oxygen tent. I don't remember when he came home.
