Sunday, December 6, 2009

Just Call Me Santa Claus











I just returned from the W's where I was filling stockings. I was filling the stockings (and sampling the candy to make sure it was good, as in safe, you know?) so that when they arrive home this morning from their weekend away, Miss O will be surprised that St. Nick stopped by. Here's the thing...I felt like a jolly little elf as I stuffed their stockings. I took care to put the little presents in just the right way and I imagined Miss O as she discovered the treasures and pictured St. Nick sneaking around her house whilst she was away. Time and time again we are reminded that it IS the little things in life that bring BIG joy. It made me wish that I had conjured up a special surprise to sneak in all their stockings as even we big kids revel in the unexpected. We are never too old for a little magic...we rarely outgrow that childlike wonder, we only forget what it feels like.

I drove away with a smile on my face because that little act of kindness warmed my heart. Also because I realized that I looked like a prowler. I'm dressed in black from head (hat) to toe (boots)! It's a good thing I have the garage code and didn't have to come down the chimney. That might have had the neighbors wondering, or dialing 911, which would have most certainly blown my cover.

T. Bone was up first this morning. He came into our room at 7:30 chompin' at the bit. After a short snuggle, we let him wake up Miss Bit. We entered the family room to find two very groovy, fat and happy orange tabbies displaying chummy Cheshire grins. They had helped themselves to the contents of their stockings in the wee hours. The snacks were opened and sampled, and the cat nip...GONE! I guess they were manifesting their destiny...just this week I started calling them Shaggy and Scooby.

The pink tree (that I stayed up until 2:00 putting together and decorating) delivered all the dazzle I was dreaming of. An extra bonus was the gingerbread house ornament that the whole family helped decorate last night. After we were through the woods last night and almost over the river, we told Miss Bit we forgot it at Grandma and Grandpa's. When it appeared on the tree this morning, the consensus was that Santa's far reaching network of elves were hard at work while we slept. St. Nick brought us our very own little
Elf who was perched atop Miss Bit's tree. He is now lovingly referred to as Fast Fred. The lava lamp was totally awesomely received too followed closely by the latest Wimpy Kid and these hilarious aliens. Miss Bit has plans to come right home from Sunday school and play school with her new supply of 14 (yes 1, 4!) dry erase markers in all colors of the rainbow. Oh, life is good!

I would call our first time cutting down our own tree a success. We were all in agreement that it will be our new tradition. The hardest part was that there were just so many to chose from. We narrowed it down, and then my Dad went back to his truck to get his chain saw. Let me tell you...there were lots of families in search of the perfect tree, but not one other family had a chain saw. My Dad could have started a little lucrative side business. He reved up the saw, hubby yelled timber, T. Bone transported the trees to the lot, Miss Bit played hide and seek amongst the rows of trees, and my step-mom and I took the photographs.

The sun was setting as we got back on the country road, and it was dark by the time we made it to our pit stop for bloody Mary's, kiddie cocktails and so many fried snacks that we were not hungry for the delicious pot pie my Dad made earlier in the day. (I know it's good cuz' I had some for breakfast.) We played some darts and a little pool. Miss Bit grabbed a cue and started chalking it like she had spent every one of her five years in a pool hall. Seriously, I have no clue how she knew thing 1 about the cue! Go figure!

It was a fun, family and Fraser Fir filled afternoon.


O’ Tannenbaum...I'm off to decorate our Christmas tree.

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