Christmas past

When I was little one of the best bits of Christmas was seeing the huge (there was three of us) pile of presents that Father Christmas had left us. We also had a huge stocking or in our case pillow case which had PJs, slippers, books and our new Christmas day clothes in.
Morning was normally an early start with my more excitable sister waking us up with a cry of "Santa been" Sometimes I would wake up briefly in the night and feel the weight of the stocking on my toes then snuggle back to sleep knowing he had been.  One year much to my sisters horror I slept until 9.00 and she had to wait down stairs with the gifts not allowed to open them untill I emerged.
Around 4ish Col wold wake, yellow, go to Mum and Dads room only to be sent back to bed. Half an hour later she would try again with the same results by 5.30 Mum and dad would have given up on trying to sleep and say that she can open her stocking. At this point Katie and I would get up (no heating in our house so never go out of bed too soon) and we would all go into their bed and squish in. Pillowcases would soon be unwrapped. Dad would let mum out one of his gifts. Mum would then get up and lit the fire and put the oven on. We would probably be sent back to bed for a bit.
Downstairs we would have to wait for everyone to go in together Mum and dad already in the room. As a grown up I not understand that this was too see our faces when we saw all the presents. They were always bundled high and all three would be m8xed up together so you had to find yours.
We would all out them different. Col would rip the paper off, cast aside the gift and go straight to the next. I would take my time and look at each thinges. I always be the last one to finish. The advantage of this being that the other would look on enviously however, if there was a gift where the others got the same Col would past me the presents and say what was inside until Mum yelled at her to stop.
At lunch family would visit (as we got older we took in turns visiting) and Mum would feed us the proper Christmas dinner. Then it was more presents, this time family once. As I got older this became my favourite part. It was nice seeing people unwrap gift from you. From quite young we alway brought mum and dad a present. One year we was allowed to buy Dads on our own in Woollies. 
Then tea would be cold meat and salad the best bit being the seafood platter. After that board games until late.