Each year from 1955 on, we would travel from Tacoma Washington and spend Christmas with my grandparents in Goldendale, Washington and Yakima, Washington. We would travel to one set of grandparents and spend Christmas Eve and morning there, and then after Christmas morning around noon, travel to my other grandparents to spend the rest of Christmas day and have Christmas dinner. In order to equally split the time we had, after about four or five days, we would travel back to the place we had Christmas Eve and morning at for the remainder of the holiday. Each year we would alternate where we started out. For me, it was an exciting time. At my grandparents in Yakima, we always had a fairly large gathering because my mother had grown up in a large family so in addition to grandma and grandpa, there were lots of aunts and uncles and cousins. At my grandparents in Goldendale however, my father had been an only child so there was just my mother, father, sister and I as well as my grandmother and grandfather.

In 1957, we went to my grandparents in Goldendale first. They lived in an older house built in 1910. It had a main floor with an entry foyer, and to the right a large living and dining room and at the end of that room and to the left, a large kitchen. Off of the kitchen was a small laundry room. All of the rooms had high ceilings at about nine or ten feet. Going from the entry (which was about a 10 x 15 foot room) to the right, you went to the living/dining room. To the left in the entry room was the base of the stairs to the upper level. The stairs had a short open flight along the wall to a landing where they turned to the right and were enclosed the rest of the way to the second floor. At the top of the stairs on the right was my grandfathers room with his double bed and there was a rollaway bed that I slept in. Straight ahead at the top of the stairs was the room my parents and sister slept in. To the left was the third bedroom that my grandmother’s bed was in. To the immediate left was the bathroom. It was a large open room and had a big cast iron crow’s foot bath tub. We had traveled earlier in the week on Monday and Christmas was on a Wednesday. Monday night was typical where we sat around and watched TV. Tuesday was Christmas Eve and I was looking forward to the fun and excitement of Christmas morning. Around 8:30PM, my mother was upstairs with my sister getting her ready for bed. She was changed into a fresh diaper and plastic pants and had her pajamas on. I came into the bedroom just as mom was finishing up getting her ready for bed. That’s when I made my mistake. I simply said “I’m really excited!” thinking about Christmas morning. She looked at me and said “you’re really excited? We better have you wear a diaper”. I was totally surprised and said, “I won’t wet the bed”. I hadn’t had any bedwetting incidents since the previous summer. She said “you wouldn’t want to wet grandpa’s bed now would you”. That was true, but I felt confident that it wouldn’t happen. She had apparently made up her mind and said “go to the bathroom and then come back in here”. I walked into the bathroom and went over to the toilet which was near the bathtub. After I had finished, I started back to the room but instead of returning directly, I took some time and looked at a dresser and dawdled as I didn’t want to hurry and thought maybe mom would forget that she suggested that I wear a diaper. I really didn’t want to have to wear a diaper. I was seven years old and felt that I was too old to be wearing a diaper like my sister. After I hadn’t returned, mom called to me and said “get in here”. I went into their bedroom and she had two cloth diapers folded and on their bed. She then started helping me get undressed as I realized that I wasn’t going to get out of being diapered for the night. When I was down to just my undershirt, she had me get up on the bed and lay down on the diapers. My head was to her right. She then brought the diapers up between my legs and pinned first my right side and then the left. She then said “ok, sit up” and had me set on the edge of the bed while she had me put my feet into a pair of pull on plastic pants. She then had me stand up as she pulled them up and over my diapers. She then helped me put on my pajama top and button it up after which she had me then step into my pajama bottoms which she pulled up and over my diapers and plastic pants. There I was. A seven year old wearing diapers and plastic pants all ready for bed. I thought we were done and I could go get into bed but then she said “go downstairs and tell everyone goodnight”. I really didn’t want to go downstairs and have my father, grandfather and grandmother see me because I knew they would be able to tell I was wearing diapers and plastic pants under my flannel pajamas. I had paused and she said “go on!” I reluctantly started down the stairs and when I got to the landing where the stairs turned, I stopped. I really didn’t want to go any further so I leaned out and said loudly “goodnight!” From the other room I heard my grandparents and my dad say almost in unison, “goodnight”. Fortunately, my grandmother didn’t insist that I come and give her a kiss goodnight. At that, I turned and sprinted back up the stairs. I had dodged having to potentially be embarrassed further and went into my grandfather’s bedroom and climbed into the rollaway bed. I would have normally had thoughts about what Christmas morning would be like but instead I was thinking; here I am lying in bed diapered like my sister. The flannel pajamas slid easily against the plastic pants and I made a concerted effort to not touch them. After a short time of pondering my situation, I managed to have more pleasant thoughts and drifted off to sleep.

Morning came, and my mother came into the room and woke me up. My grandfather, grandmother and father had already gotten up and gone downstairs so I managed to dodge being seen wearing a diaper and plastic pants. I got out of bed and asked mom if I could take the diapers off. She asked me if they were dry and after I said “yes”, she said “take them off and fold them up and put them in the suitcase”. After I put them in the suitcase I got some underpants out for me to put on. I then put my pajama bottoms back on. Christmas morning was a special time as usual, and I was just relieved that I didn’t have to experience it while wearing diapers and plastic pants like my sister.

At about noon, we packed up some of our presents and suitcases. We were going to be returning so we left some things there. We were allowed to take a few of our presents but not all of them. We got to Yakima and my relatives were all there. We brought in our suitcases and the presents for our relatives and after settling in, everyone sat around and opened gifts. We had a big family dinner and after dinner most of the cousins played in the basement. In the evening all of our aunts, uncles and cousins left and around bedtime I got ready for bed. I was concerned because I thought I might have to wear diapers like the night before. Mom never suggested I wear a diaper and I was relieved. Thinking back, I kind of suspect that on Christmas Eve, she just wanted to have both of her children in diapers.