Page 58 - San Diego Woman Magazine

The Christmas become very excited, and followed the girls out to the
we would tell them that they
pigpen. As soon as we saw
should go to sleep so that
the situation, I knew what
Santa would come. Hey, it’s
had happened. The evidence
When the Pigs tradition. The next morning indicated that the pigs had
was the customary Christ-
bumped the wall holding
the Christmas box my moth-
mas excitement, filled with
“oohs” and “ahs”, followed
er had sent us, knocking the
Ate Santa by “Look, look what Santa shelf’s contents into the pig
gave me!” A farm Christmas
enclosure. The little devils
is something very special,
must have used their noses
at least on our little home-
outside of the pen. As a re-
stead. Both Gail and I made to butt the items into the
By C. F. Illingworth Christmas gifts to give to the sult, the Santa pants with
girls, along with a couple of the boots, the deer antlers,
storepurchased items. There and some of the decora-
Two years after we moved look like Santa is coming were homemade cookies and tor presents were strewn
from California to a little down the chimney. When fudge candy, along with our around the pen. Conse-
homestead in Wisconsin, we done correctly, it’s very cute. traditional holiday pie. The quently, the children felt
had become self-sufficient. However, our farmhouse kids decided to stay inside that those evil, vicious pigs
By the fall season we had did not have a traditional all day enjoying their Christ- had indeed killed Santa and
harvested most of our fruits, fireplace, but rather a metal mas toys. The next day, had eaten him. I had to keep
vegetables and livestock. wood stove. around ten in the morning, my amusement with the sit-
However, I got a good deal I heard shouting and some uation under wraps. To the
on a couple of piglets late in I decided to collect the Santa commotion as the girls came girls, this was a monumen-
pants and the fake presents
October, so I decided to keep that are commonly placed running into the house. Our tal event, and I needed to
them through the winter. around for decoration. My oldest told me I needed to take this into consideration.
Pigs do okay in the winter intent was to store these come outside right away. I After Gail and I got the kids
if they have a warm place to could hear my twoyear-old settled down, we explained
go. I had set up a pen next to items in a box. I took the box crying and my middle girl about the Santa pants and
out to the barn and placed
our barn and installed a pig it on a shelf above the area telling me that the pigs had the fake presents. At first,
door into an enclosed area where the pigs slept at night. killed Santa. I need to note they were a little skeptical;
within the barn so the pigs On the same shelf were a set here that even a hobby farm but after some assurance
would be out of the freezing can be dangerous. From that Santa was alive and well
cold. of deer antlers my neighbor the very beginning we cau- up at the North Pole enjoy-
Slade had given me the pre- tioned our girls about all the ing the holidays with Mrs.
Before we left California we vious year. I had intended to animals on our farm, and Claus and the elves, they be-
had stored some items at my use the antlers as a coat rack how some animals can hurt lieved he would be back next
mom’s place with the intent by the barn door, but I never them. The pigs can be es- year. However, Gail and I
of sending for them later. got around to it. The whole pecially dangerous, and we noticed that from that time
My Mom came across some family enjoyed the holiday instructed the girls to never on, the girls gave the pigs a
of these items and decided to season. We got some snow a go near the pigpen without wide birth. After all, there
send them to us, thinking we week before Christmas and either my wife or myself. So, were those deer antlers in
would want them this year. the kids made snowmen, I knew that something was the pen as well.
When we received Mom’s skated on our little wood- seriously wrong.
package, we opened it with land pond, and even built Both Gail
anticipation. It turned out a snow fort. We attended and I
that she sent us winter a candlelight service early
items, including Christ- Christmas Eve, and then we
mas decorations. The girls came home to put the girls
were at school, so Gail and to bed. One of the items
I unpacked the box. Among that my mom sent was a
some of the items was a pair set of sleigh bells. I de-
of red Santa pants, complete cided that once the girls
with black boots. It was one were in bed, I would go
of those decorations that outside and shake the
were intended to be placed bells near their win-
in the fireplace to make it dow. The kids would

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