At Christmastime, people often look back at previous Chrismases and share memories of people and events thst were fun. I thought I'd share a Christmas that happened when our son Iain was little.
We spent Christmas in England with Nigel's parents in 1985 when Iain was 3 years old. Here are some photos from that Christmas day.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW9oK5LyYoKPoNvWN_lLUzUYil6l3nf8ryrnrmB7rKGOjnanlhj4084U_YFdwGF_jUQFPjLYYPLvLyS1EpuDjb8l8xQm4VYP8bVdBh4xbJCLW0Vml9TUmv2HJgoKysODXD8a0S1ysGzRa/s640/scan_718.jpg) |
"Santa came!" -- Oops, sorry "Father Christmas came!" |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxBzWamKcykHRj4VFrISC1kg5ZeL93qWKz4jNrLUrZybdVRpHpBH72r16W8UnPxCkfPuSip9tQ-uqyCJ4AzkBRpS9X2PgEdDFnCDeTuB8M2ueqVkthjlL6NUUb_YcosfKM_TWnPlT3wii/s640/scan_716.jpg) |
"Open it, Dad!" |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTbfxFBqdOArzXf4ws9FZiS5HZcMh7niyJSyjey447jJ9C2DMdlJD9CNjYPr-ncCprtxLtlsCJw-Egy-eMhx3cm6POwPpy7Jg4hyphenhyphenuxQDjghqzd28ExE5MyB43axxz-z9JlbuUkSem1Q8O/s640/scan_721.jpg) |
Sitting in Nigel's mum's lap |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-ehBoK566tpoW8rc1RkAefdFX4pRlLENYv9V3TLY-y66vuuavBDUCdZdBVl5CI2rIh22A1k5JhBwVRk2gS5Pb1Rl42aQ7L5oJVcLBhgZTZwQGCY2BEGd_zSEUFTSMMdh-Fpng99vsWMu/s640/scan_723.jpg) |
Playing with noisemakers on the stairs with Nigel's dad |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qctBYQPCNEpXWKcEbLQ0mxW7WTkb6EdqaU6V8SZXz4wRQ-pG4RCc10lJHST-mmlEEVrIoRYrCouC5IeOaiCW4geD5_2hf3iOL0HaInY1c7ACAvPVQAi24Mg8yK7rAW-F8YB4hXj8p9fx/s640/scan_722.jpg) |
About to pull a Christmas cracker |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFjakGHGy1EgohLWhCyEd-Ck8Rwv2rRAY-q1vpGIX3QSLqvQVp99UDQeqZrOdc1bhf0ePlxPy5vzO1P1U345tgq3CWicBF5d17KspBc08oh7QjWwcuK1KGai4l1OHYWQRZHNvRbgeEFBh/s640/scan_724.jpg) |
I don't know what they're both looking at, but they're very engrossed in whatever it is |
I think back on that time now with incredulity. I was almost 30, and I had decided I wanted to know what an English Christmas was like, so that I could understand what kind of celebration my husband had grown up with. So we basically invaded my in-law's home for the entire month of December.
I am now the age they were then. I can't imagine what it would be like to have house guests with a young child running amok in my house for an entire month now that I'm in my 60s. I thought I was doing them a great favor, letting them get to know their grandson better, as he was being raised so far away in the U.S. I realize now how stressful it must have been for them.
Perspective is everything.