12/24/2025
`Twas the night before the night before Christmas, with too much to do. Our tree wasn't up yet, and mom had the flu. Our cookies were burned. There were presents to wrap. Mom sniffled, "What I need is a long winter's nap." But instead we drove miles to go get our tree. Last week there were millions, now there were three. Dad tied the tree to our car. "This will just have to do." Mom nodded glumly and sneezed, "Ah-ah-ACHOO!" We dragged in our tree through the front door. It dropped half its needles all over the floor. Just then, Patrick pointed to something quite shocking. Oh, no! There were holes in everyone's stocking! Instead we hung socks by the chimney with care. I hoped Saint Nick would fill up my spare. Things will get better, I thought, as I crawled in to bed. Maybe visions of sugarplums will dance in my head. Instead, I lay wondering, gazing up at the moon. What on earth is a sugarplum? Is it a candy or a prune? Early the next morning, I woke up from a dream. "Be careful, Harold!" I heard my mom scream. Out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see dad on a ladder. He was stringing up lights on the rooftop and gutters, outlining the railings, the windows and shutters. When he plugged in the cord, not a single light lit. Did we have extra bulbs? Yes...but none of them fit. So off to the mall our family did drive. When dad saw the crowds he gasped, "Sake's alive!" We searched every store. All the lights were sold out. But I found something for grandpa- Silly Gilly the Trout. Finally all done with our last-minute shopping, we flew past the food court without even stopping. "But I want to see Santa," Patrick said with a whine. We pushed through the crowd- Wow! What a line! It wrapped `round the counters and down the first floor, then wound through Kids Clothing and out the front door. After waiting for hours- At last! Our big chance! Santa roared, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" Then Pat wet his pants. "Let's go home!" we all cried- Mom, Patrick, and me. Even jolly old dad sighed and said, "I agree!" So on the way home, we sang the Jingle Bell song, all the while I was thinking nothing else could go wrong. When what to our wondering eyes should appear, but a gigantic mess, that much was clear. The tree was knocked over! My snow globe was shattered. Ornaments were broken. Tinsel was scattered. "Bad kitty!" I shouted, then mom started to weep. "Christmas is ruined, and I need some sleep!" "No, it's not, sugarplum, These things are just stuff. Christmas is about love, and we have quite enough." He tucked mom in bed for some much-needed rest. Then we three busy elves all gave it our best. As snow gently fell, turning the earth sparkly white, I know in my heart Christmas would turn out just right. Dad read us a book and gave us a kiss. It was my favorite story, and it began like this... `Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
