Someone in a Kerchief, I In My Cap…

Our family has this tradition – as I’m sure many families do – for opening a gift on Christmas Eve.  Just one gift.  ONE.  While I was growing up, and when we did spend Christmas with my mom’s side of the family in Oklahoma, the gift was always Christmas pajamas my grandma Joannie made.  Grandma Joannie is the one who is the seamstress, she made me all kinds of rad baton twirler and roller skating costumes.  She is the bomb.

The Christmas pajamas were something fun for Joannie – she liked seeing all her grandchildren dressed up in pretty matching pajamas.  Great photo op, and it really did get us all in the mood for some Santa action.

I mean, it’s awesome now to get matching pajamas because my grandma is NINETY-TWO and I am just amazed she can still do this for us.  It’s so impressive.  Plus they look so damn cute on everyone.  But when you’re a kid on Christmas Eve, and you are so jazzed on adreneline because the fat guy in the red suit will be at your house in a matter of hours and you get to open only ONE gift…it’s like…

I JUST TOTALLY GOT SCREWED.  I WANT A TOY.

Brad does not understand this family tradition at all because when he was a kid they always went to his grandparent’s house on Christmas Eve and he and Shane got to open ALL their gifts from their grandma and grandpa.  Like a gazillion of them.  They were so spoiled.  And then they got their “Santa” gifts the next morning at their own home.

We have not spent many Christmases with my grandma Joannie in the past few years.  Now that I have kids, traveling during the holidays is just about as fun as sticking pins in your eyeballs.  But this year, my cousin invited us to her home and we decided to spend Christmas with the Hostetter side of the family.  And my 92-year old grandmother made Christmas pajamas for FOURTEEN PEOPLE.  Sewed them herself.

If this doesn’t impress you, then you are a freaking zombie on heroin.

I was especially impressed with the nightcaps she made for a few of us girls.  I wore mine to bed with my chastity belt.

UPDATE:  I just searched through all my pictures and found this oldie but goodie.  I’m the baby.  Those are my cousins.  And there we are in our CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS.