196 12/8/1948 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Wednesday, December 08, 1948

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: Mary is in bed. Sunday: Here it is Sunday night and I didn't get very far with my letter when I started it Wednesday night. I have been awfully busy getting your package ready and I have this big Christmas party coming up this coming Saturday for the kids and I have so much to do yet before I am ready for it. Since you folks will all be together for Christmas Eve, I am sending all the presents together in a couple of boxes. I thought that was easier than having to dig up boxes for each family. I am sending the package to you folks. I hope that will be all right. It got down to four below one night last week and then it warmed up and we had quite a big snow storm so there is lots of snow, at least quite a bit, now. It was up to fifteen above today so felt quite warm. Yesterday I took Jimmy to Vernie and had his two front teeth pulled out. They were both just hanging there but we couldn't get them out and the new teeth are in so I thought I better have the baby ones out right away. If they had been out the day before, Jimmy could have gone into one of the record shops and gotten the record, "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" free. He got rid of his two front teeth just a day too late. Last night we had planned to stay home but Kenny and Johnny Hinch called and had reservations out at the Boulevard and wanted us to go with them. We hadn't been night-clubbing for months and months so thought it would be fun to go and get in a little dancing. We met Kenny and Johnny out there and did have a nice time but now we don't care if we go again for months and months. It was just packed and impossible to do any dancing, and we both thought how foolish it was to be sitting out there when we enjoy more having someone over to play bridge or go over to somebody else's house. It was terribly slippery out and we were almost stuck where we were parked but finally got out. Then when we were driving out of the parking area the car in front of us slid into one of the cars still parked at the Boulevard. Elmer got out and it was Kenny who had slid into this other car. The bumpers were just locked together though but it took them quite a while to get them apart. Then we stopped along the highway for hamburgers so it was about two o'clock when we got home. I got up in time to go to church this morning but was so sleepy I knew I couldn't sit through it so talked Jimmy and Mary out of going. I felt awful doing such a thing because they both wanted to go. Jimmy went last Sunday and liked it so much because he got in his right class and the teacher just told them Bible stories and he likes that. This is the first Sunday Mary has missed in several weeks. I been worrying how I would entertain all the kids at the Christmas party but Doris Ducret said she would bring the movie projector and her boy is going to show pictures. After that Santa Claus will come and then I'll feed them after that and by that time it will be time for them to go home. I said from 2 to 4 o'clock. This Marian Bohm from Oak Ridge and I were appointed room mothers for Jimmy and Norma Jean's room. All we do is help serve the lunch when that room gives the PTA meeting. I think that is all we have to do. I guess Jimmy knows how to get along with his teacher because after Thanksgiving she asked each one what they were thankful for and Jimmy said he was thankful that he had such a wonderful teacher. Thursday Mary and I went over to Selma's and took care of her baby while Selma went downtown to do some shopping. Al was home all the time but he won't take care of the baby. It seems crazy that he still won't change a baby's pants when it is his third one. Elmer is down in the basement working on the doll house and Mary is in bed. Jimmy is to go to bed after this program is over so I had better stop so I'll be ready to hurrying him off. I should pin up my hair and I want to get to bed fairly early tonight if possible. Goodnight Folks, and I'll write more soon. With Love, Helen