A Magical Christmas Night

Last night was just so magical, it literally brought tears to my eyes.

Our town's civic association does a lot of amazing things, including several major events each year. Last night we attended the UACA's Christmas event. It is so popular that you have to fill out a form in November and they use a lottery system to select who gets in. Although we've lived in the town for 4+ years now, we've never signed up until this year. When we got the confirmation postcard in the mail, I was so excited. It was a canary yellow postcard that I called "My Golden Ticket."

So last night at 7PM was our slot. We arrived at the park's shelter house to see the walkway outlined by candlelit luminarias. Upon entering the building, we were greeted by a very decked-out Christmas hall. There were many families there, Christmas music playing, and the smell of popcorn overwhelmed us. I immediately looked for Santa, but didn't see him. I figured he was taking a break. There was a Rudolph and snowman walking around, greeting the children. I handed my golden ticket to the man wearing a top hat standing at a podium at the front. He checked us off and told us it would be about a 20 minute wait to see Santa... in a different building! In the meantime, we were to enjoy popcorn and hot cocoa, and do crafts. There were several tables set up with a different craft activity at each table. The kids made little sleigh ornaments with Popsicle sticks and stickers and pom poms and such. MV decorated a cookie and then ate 80% of it and let me have the rest. R coughed and coughed as his asthma was aggravated, despite an Albuterol treatment just before leaving the house.

We were all getting very tired (dh and I hadn't eaten dinner) and nervous about R's cough (would they kick us out for spreading germs in their winter wonderland?). Finally, about 40+ minutes after we arrived, they called our name over the speaker. We lined up with two other families, and they brought us outside the back door. Waiting for us in a back parking lot was a long carriage pulled by two horses. We all loaded into the carriage and took a ride to the smaller shelter house at the other side of the park. It was a freezing night, and the sky was cloudy so we couldn't star gaze. We all sang some Christmas songs and looked at the lit-up houses we passed on the way. Finally we got to Santa's! We lined up and were told one family will go in at a time - special one-on-one time with Santa! As we waited for our turn, a lit up Christmas tree talked to us and told the kids jokes. A volunteer had a small bonfire lit near us for warmth. Finally, a volunteer said, "MV and R?" He was ready for us!

Santa immediately greeted MV and said, "Where's R?" R then somewhat shyly came in with dh. MV had a turn on Santa's knee first. He told her that he had just spoken with her teacher, Mrs. Crane, about her and he heard she was doing well and even helped some other kids out recently (all true). He then asked about her abuelo and abuela, and if she was still doing artwork and making her own books. MV's eyes were wide, and she looked over at me a few times with a "HOW does he know this?" Later at home, she told me, "That must be the real Santa because he knew all about my life!" How did he know these things, indeed!

MV told him she wanted a marble run set (phew! no surprises there - already taken care of and in the basement). When he asked her what else, she was not prepared - she was only going to ask him for that one thing. She then blurted out "a new American Girl doll" (which, reluctantly, we also took care of) and when he asked her which one, she had one of those moments from "A Christmas Story" when Ralphie asks for a football because that's all he could think of. She absolutely wants the A.G. doll that looks most like her, one of the unnamed ones. But she couldn't think of what to say so she thought and thought, and when I prompted her with, "tell him which one, honey" she said, "Josephina!" whom she never particularly cared for. Hee hee.

Then it was R's turn. R, as always, just took it in stride. Yeah, it's Santa, he's talking to me and of course he knows all about me. Santa asked about R's teachers Miss Angela and Miss Suzanee, and his best friend Avery. He asked if R was still into animals (is he!), and told R that he did a great job decorating the tree last weekend. When Santa asked what he wanted for Christmas, R dutifully answered, "King Car-Nivore" and when prompted for a second gift (wow, glad to know Santa is so generous this year), he said, "Crash-Up Cars" (done and done). Then the kids said goodbye, promised to bake cookies on Christmas Eve again and leave some water and carrots for the reindeer this time (!), and each got a candy cane. Then we rode back in the horse-drawn carriage to our car. It was amazing, and I just wish my kids knew how amazing and special the evening was.

When we got home, R's fever was 104 degrees. I was sure the thermometer was broken, so I checked again and the reading was 103.8. I immediately stuck it in my ear and my temperature was 98.something, so it obviously was working. Of course the fear of God was then put in me and I was convinced R's last memory would be of seeing Santa before he died a horrible death by baking his internal organs and gasping for breath. So we gave him yet more meds and a bath and I sat with him for about an hour until he cooled off and fell asleep. This morning, to everyone's surprise, we had a new, improved R at home - no cough, no fever, and TONS of energy. TONS. Even for him, which is saying a LOT. So, my poor mother is home with him today and hopefully Santa's magic has healed his nasty cold and he can go to preschool tomorrow.