Christmas at the Robeck's!

 I am not sure how our parents ever did it. Just trying to get gifts for my wife and 3 kids is always a challenge, but, for our gang, it was the "Olympics of Shopping"! At one time, they needed to get presents for a dozen kids, ranging in age from preschool all the way to high school-aged kids.

 They did have a plan. We would each get something of our own, usually an article of clothing, that was needed anyway. Then, in groupings by age, we would get a shared item. The older group, about 5 of us, would get some kind of multiple-player game. The middle group would get a construction type toy, like Tinker Toys or Lincoln Logs. The youngest bunch got some dolls or stuffed animals of some kind. There were always some puzzles thrown in that everyone would share.

My twin brother Mike, me, Mom and Dad.

The best part, for me anyway, was the center of the table, where our gifts had been laid out. It had several mixing bowls, each filled with delectable delights. One was various hard candies, my favorite being the ribbons and any filled ones. One bowl was filled with nuts of all sorts, still in the shell, waiting for the nutcracker.  Sometimes one bowl was peanuts, and another only English walnuts. The challenge was cracking them down the middle, leaving two perfect little cups. These treats were not locked up in the pantry, but, available to us all day! Unbelievable!

We usually had a lot of cookies and bars during Christmas. As we got older, we all helped with the baking, so much so, that I can still make oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies by heart.  The Christmas cookies were different though, and needed more supervision by Mom to get them right.  We were occasionally treated to lefse', since my Mom's side of the family was Norwegian. If you get a chance, you should try some, it is delicious. Just writing about this is making me hungry!

 Some of us played in band and sang in choir, so there was usually a couple programs to go to prior to Christmas. I am not sure how Mom and Dad ever kept track of who had to be where and when!
In Fourth grade I was picked to act in the Christmas play. I played one of 3 kids that traveled all around the world with Santa, to see how other countries celebrated Christmas. All I did was sit in the sleigh, with my winter coat on, sweating under the spot lights. I don't recall having to speak once.  What fun.
 
  I am sure your family did many of the same things, maybe just not on the same scale. I hope that you and yours will make some great memories this year!

The Roving Robecks

            It is interesting how you have to stand back after a passage of time to see some patterns in your life, and even your family’s. This is a cross-generational pattern that I have noticed. Our family likes to rove around a bit. Sometimes short distances, sometimes long.

            My great-grandfather on the Robeck side had a steam threshing machine. He and some of the brothers, sons and nephews would leave in August to start threshing in southern Minnesota and would follow the crops north as they were ready for harvest, sometimes not returning home until Thanksgiving. They would sleep in barns and sheds at the farms where they were working. This also meant the women of the family would run the entire farm operation by themselves for several months. The threshers roamed all around the state.

             Some of my brothers and sisters did some roving of their own when they were younger. 

When my sister Maria was in kindergarten, she and our neighbor decided not to ride the bus home. They decided it was a nice day to walk home. Thing is, we lived about 5 miles out of town. When Mom noticed the bus go by and no Maria, she called to see if she had went next door, as she did sometimes. She found out that our neighbor hadn’t come home either, so now two Moms are worried. The school checked, “no, they are not here, they left a while ago, on the bus, they thought”. Well, Mom got in the car and headed into town, finding them about half way home by now. After a little scare, all was well and the teachers made sure the young ladies actually got on the bus after that.

My youngest brother also made a little local trip of his own. He decided he wanted to go fishing. He decided that our Aunt’s house on the Mississippi River would be a great spot. That trip was a little longer, more like 12 miles. It turned out OK, but, another case of a roving Robeck.

In my life, I get around a bit myself, in the Navy, I saw a lot of the world and was stationed in 4 different states. After I got out, I have lived in 4 different states, worked on the road as a field engineer for awhile, went on a mission trip to Russia, and a visit with my wife to Ireland and Northern Ireland.

My daughter, Giselle,  has lived in Seattle for a short while, a little longer in Cinncinati, and travels when she can. My youngest son, Morgan,  is in the Navy, and with his new wife, Rachel, live in Charleston, SC, and are sure to see many places in the world. Riley has yet to venture very far, but, don't count him out yet.

Many of my siblings are now scattered around the country, and some also have traveled abroad for work or missions trips. Some of my nieces and nephews are also following in our footsteps, so the roving continues!