Christmas, according to an elementary-aged me.

At Christmastime when I was growing up, the local newspaper published pieces of writing by elementary school students. This weekend, I found two pieces that I had written. I can't remember what grades I was in when I wrote them, but I know I was young. Really young. Which explains why my friends and I cracked up when we read them.

Here they are, exactly as they were printed (and they were printed exactly as I wrote them):

"Christmas is a time of joy. It's not the presents. It's not the tree. It's not the cookies. It's Jesus' birthday. Some people have turkey, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, cranberry sauce and pies. Other people have turkey, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, cranberry sauce and a birthday cake that says "Happy Birthday Jesus." Christmas is about giving not receiving. Jesus gave us our first Christmas." 

This one was titled "One Christmas Eve": 

"This story I'm about to tell you is about something we do almost every year on Christmas Eve. Well, anyway, this is what we do: (I'm going to put them in order) first we go out and look at the lights on other people's houses. Then we come back and get Santa's snack ready. After that we get ready for bed, of course, we have a bedtime snack. Then we watch one or two Christmas shows, but after that we have to go to bed, so Santa will come!

But WATCH OUT, I'm almost always up early!!" 

P.S. Here's another piece of writing from my elementary school days.

P.P.S. That's a photo that Alex took with his phone of our Christmas tree. It makes me smile.