As told by: Me now, me then, and Dad.

Dad’s favourite Christmas story EVER.

A tale to be told at family gatherings now, and forever after, it is one of those embarrassing stories parents love, and children don’t understand until they are all grown up. Such a thing is my story.

It only makes sense to tell this tale in retrospect, since I did not at all understand it in my childish innocence. Only now do I understand why my father nearly had a heart attack, and even now is his favourite story to tell about Christmas.

Ever since I was 5 or  6, the tradition began that dad would take the children 6 and up, shopping for Christmas presents for our siblings. We would have a budget to keep within, and then he would take us out to lunch. As I grew, it was always my favourite part of Christmas.

Now for the incident, dad and I were shopping and he had to make a quick stop at the bank. I believe that I was 6, and was left in the vehicle. It only makes sense, after all, why would you take a six-year-old into the bank with you?  Waiting in the van looking at the presents bought that morning was much more exciting. And dangerous or so my father was about to find out.

One gift in particular was very exciting. It was a ski mask for my younger brother.

So my dad walks out of the bank, and sees in the passenger-side of the old style mini-vans, a person wearing a ski mask.  Key points here are Bank parking-lot. You can only imagine his panic when he realizes it is his daughter. He rushed to me and thanked heaven that no one else had seen me. Knowing he himself would have been suspicious. At the time, I did not. But little did I know that I would be reminded time and time again. And again.

As told by the child, who was me:

Christmas shopping with dad is my favourite part of Christmas. I love spending time with dad, it is so fun because he works so much and gets home after bedtime. We get to go to different stores and find presents for my brothers.

“I just need to stop here at the bank, ok sweetie?” Dad says as he pulls into the parking stall, “I’ll be right back.

I nod, not really paying too much attention. Errands are such an adult thing to do.

This morning we found a great find.  I looked in the shopping bag at it. It is a ski mask, for my oldest younger brother Brett. It is like a big, black toque that comes down on your face and has three holes for the eyes and mouth. It also has a band of colour around the neck. There were several colours to choose from, but I chose red for Brett.

I decide to try the novelty on, so I slip it over my head and start fussing about arranging my hair so it does not cover my eyes.

Suddenly dad bursts in the door and tells me to take it off. He is out of breath, that’s odd. I tell him I was just trying it on.

After a few deep breaths, we drive off and dad explains that he understands what I was doing, and there was nothing wrong with it, it was just that you really should not ever try a ski mask on in front of a bank because you look like a robber.

I ponder that a moment and then don’t think about it again. Lesson learned and on with life.

As told by Dad at every Christmas gathering that I can painfully remember. (that kind when ALL the adults laugh at that silly thing you did, and frankly the only reason I really even remember this story):

Alright, so every year since they turned a certain age, I would take the kids Christmas shopping, and out for lunch at a restaurant. It is fun for the kids, but mostly so I could spend some time with them.

They had a ten dollar budget for each sibling and mom, and it was good for them because they learned to budget. They might find that gift that Russell would die for, but it is too outside the budget and so they would have to find something else. I really loved seeing when they got really excited about something they had got for one another. Because the real spirit of Christmas is the giving.

My favourite Christmas story ever, I was with Nicole, she was six, and we used to drive this big old ghetto mini-van.

That morning we found a ski mask for Brett.

(“Like the kind bank robbers have?” someone once asked, during one of my many telling’s of this story.)

Yes! I replied, hardly able to contain my laughter, “Exactly! Now just you wait, let me continue…”

I had to stop at the bank, and as I am walking out, I see someone wearing this ski mask in the van. Then I realize, wait! That’s my daughter. I rush over and tell her to take it off. She had no idea what she had done, nor would she have she was just little. But I knew, that even me looking on, if anyone else had seen her in the mask in the bank parking lot, there would be explaining to do. And what police officer is going to buy “My six-year-old daughter was trying on the Christmas present” idea.

I nearly had a heart attack, but it seems that no one else saw or called anyone. And now, I nearly die laughing thinking about it. It is my favourite story to tell at Christmas.