My wife was just relating to me that a new bicycle in a family of 5 kids,
meant a fresh paint job on a used bike.

Any body got recollections of a poor Christmas.
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For the leg humpers, she is 65 anos. Go FAP somewhere else.

I have been dirt damn poor but the gifts were heart felt and new albeit small.

Heck, I didn't get a NEW bicycle until I bought it myself.  I still remember a white 24" Wheel 10 speed in the late 70's from K'mart.  Money I saved.  before that all my bikes were parts bikes from old bikes picked out from the garbage.

When my mom and dad got married, they made Christmas ornaments out of cardboard egg containers because they didn't have money for ornaments after buying their first tree as a couple.

6 kids.
Homemade blankets from Grandma, Mom always made some special cookies and we each got our own.

Christmas stockings with toothbrush, paste, an orange, some nuts and other small stuff.

We always all got something nice, but each year one kid would have an envelope on the tree with their name on it. Usually it was a clue to look somewhere, and there'd be another clue there, etc, until finally the big prize!
No one was ever jealous that it wasn't their turn.

That was always a lot of fun.

Wife pics not loading...............we have rules




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My parents always made a good Christmas for us, only later did I realize how hard it was for them though.

Our first Christmas in the house though may or may not have involved a "borrowed" tree and no lights or ornaments because we couldn't afford them. I think I got my wife a $20 bracelet and she got me wool socks.

It was fun though.

We have 4 kiddos.



Thank god my wife got into couponing / deal hunting.



Kids have more than the last few years per kid, and we spent less than a third of the price. She got stuff throughout the year.

My parents bought me my first bike at age six or so...

...their car broke down on the way home with it so my dad had to use it to get home.  

Socks and underwear from Santa.

Best Christmas present EVER, I mean EVER, was a shoebox full of used Legos for me and my brother. That translated into years of building stuff. Shopping for us was easy after that. Legos...I hope my kids find as much joy in them as I did.

Used...they still cost an arm and a fucking leg.



Cheaper for me to 3D print them, than buy them.





 

My Dad was working for the Navy in Vietnam in 65. So he wasn't going to be home in time for it and Mom didn't have the money for presents. My Dad had bought a very nice China set from my Mom while overseas. But when it showed up, every piece was broken. We just figured this is how our Christmas was going to be.
Christmas morning there was a knock at the door and the Pastor at the local Church and some of the Ladies had a big box and a load of food. The box was full of toys and food tasted real good.
My Father got home from Nam about a week later. And he went out and bought us all presents. I do know that he went to the Church to repay them.
BTW; I remember some of the toys we got in that box are very rare and valuable today.
ps; there were 4 of us kids at home at the time
Ed





pps; So in 1967 my Father is in Nam working for the Navy at Christmas time. Only this time he is wounded during a VC attack on the ship he is on. So he misses Christmas and there are no Christmas Presents until he gets home in a month. Which I don't recall being bummed about. I know I was very happy to see my Dad.



 

Similar here - one of the best presents I ever got was a pawnshop Erector set. One of the old ones in the metal suitcase, with the plug-in motor and transmission with exposed gears. You could lose a finger in that thing!

 

When I was born dad was working part time with a house and car payment and 4 kids to feed. Mom used the top value stamps she collected at Krogers to get our gifts, half the furniture in the house was bought with those. Dad raised a garden and took squash sandwiches for work when he had it. Coal mining was tough in the 60's. Those were the best times and we always had food. Mom made a lot of dresses for the girls and a few or our shirts.

Nothing better for Christmas than Dad home!

as screwed up as my family was, they were very good to us at Christmas,  I have probably overdone it with my children also.

I think I purchased my bike...come to think of it it wasn'r new then as well....Damn. I've never had a brand new unused bike ever! however We just got a new one for the boy...HE LOVES it we went riding today as a matter of fact! 68 here.


Screw the north.

Thank you for sharing your stories everyone.

When I was around 4, I remember my dad working 3 jobs to make sure us 4 kids had a nice Christmas. You almost couldn't see the tree there were so many presents! My Grandpa (dads dad) I think helped out too. Plus he always had an armful of presents too.


I really miss being a kid sometimes.

 

I think that's what parents get out of Christmas. I'm trying very hard not to overdo it with my new stepson, but it's hard.