When our son Ben (now 33) was much younger, he used to call Christmas tree ornaments “ordaments.” (For what it’s worth, he also referred to the midnight service before Easter – known in Anglican circles as “The Great Vigil of Easter” – as the Easter “Vidual.”) I don’t bring any of this up to embarrass him, but rather to say that, for both of these holidays, his childhood locutions have become an integral part of family lore as well as indelibly imprinted in my brain.
Fifty-some-odd years ago when I was about Ben’s age in the shot above, my Mom ordered Christmas ornament kits that we assembled together. I still remember how sore my thumbs got pushing all those little pins through all those tiny beads into those Styrofoam balls, and how proud I was of the finished product. It’s a great craft project for anyone with OCD, or for those addicted to IKEA. You get the picture.
********
For 50+ years running, the “ordaments” are now out and mostly up. And I for one am happy to admit that, in addition to inheriting my Mom’s OCD streak, I’ve also passed along a penchant for colorful language to the next generation.
Merry Christmas, y’all!
Lol… we commonly refer to A1 Sauce as “AL Sauce”….. When our daughter Erin was 4, she asked us to pass the AL Sauce to put on her steak… that was 28 years ago renames as a shorter name for Allan!
Well do I remember and share your fondness for the old family adornments (Easter eggs as well as stroganoff Christmas balls) and childish locutions.
From our family:
Lisa : “placence lights” ( the metal tags on the rear of cars”
Eric’s brother Steve: “meat parkers” (where you inserted coins so as not to be ticketed)
Julia: “gackoos” ( Nabisco grahams)
Susan: (best in class): “the vampire state building”