As anticipation for the imminent holidays begins to shine in the smiles of students all over the South Cariboo, three students in Margaret Shaw’s 5/6/7 class at 100 Mile Elementary School excitedly shared their own Christmas plans with the 100 Mile Free Press just a few days before the break.
Grade 6 student, Aiden Schmid, says he is looking forward to sharing the holidays having fun with four generations of family.
“We get to go to my great-grandparents house for Christmas dinner. I’m happy because I get to see the rest of my family, and I haven’t seen them in, like, two years.”
The dinner is always a mixed meal, with a turkey as the central dish served with whatever other delightful dishes his great-grandparents come up with, Aiden explains. He expects a big crowd with his aunts, uncles and cousins there for the holiday meal.
As for his gift wish-list, Aiden has a backup plan.
“I want a snowmobile, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” he says, adding his number two Santa-gift wish is for an iPad.
Luca Weir, in Grade 5, says he and his sister, who is 15 years old, are both excited to be seeing more extended family for the holidays.
“I am going to see my grandparents and all my cousins at Christmas and for Christmas Eve.”
They usually have a traditional turkey dinner, with apple pie for dessert, he explains.
Luca says his number 1 and only gift request important to him this year is a video game player.
“I’m hoping to get a Nintendo Switch – and I think that’s it.”
Their Grade 5 classmate, Ty Kreschuk, says he will “be lucky” if his grandpa and uncle come over to eat supper with them.
“They probably will. Usually, we have turkey with yams and cranberry sauce.”
Ty says his grandmother usually cooks the main course and the dessert, often pumpkin or apple pie served with ice cream, and his uncle is the one who carves the turkey.
He’s also anticipating lots of fun playing outside out in the snow, as there are good hills for him and the other children to slide down, Ty adds.
“My cousins come over and they bring their sleds, usually, and we sled down the hill. Usually, our cousins, Matthew and Ava, come over to our house.
“We are [also] hoping for our older cousins to try to come out, because our grandpa passed away. They said they were coming out on Christmas, so I’m hoping they do.”
If he gets the opportunity, he is really looking forward to going snowmobiling with his family.
“Me and my brother like to tie our GTs [sleds] to the back of the snowmobile and get pulled around. It’s really fun. The worst part is that my dad makes us bail because he hits, like, a bump or something.”
Ty and his brother never get hurt because where they go, the snow is “pretty soft,” he explains.
Regarding his ultimate gift wish, Ty is pooling together with his sibling on that, as Santa usually brings them a game every year, he explains.
“Me and my brother are wishing to get this game, because usually the player we have, they don’t make very many games for it.”
Ty says their much-hoped-for video game this year is the Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare.