Six Geese A-Laying

"Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too. Come on it's--"

My hand slid off the alarm clock radio and I rolled over, snuggled under my comfy covers. It's so warm here...

"Jenn. It's time to get up! We have to go or we'll be late."

We were late anyway. The fire station would be handing out toys and food from between 8AM and 12PM. I was texting my friend at 8:15, telling him I would be a little late. When Jess and I arrived there, it took all of our organizational skills to keep ourselves afloat. Toys were everywhere. Once someone threw the three of us some instructions, we clung to them eagerly, and set about accomplishing them. While we were talking, the new movie, Avatar, came up. We all wanted to see it, so we set about reserving the tickets right away. It was great to be spontaneous and just go to a movie because we felt like it. Wouldn't my brothers be surprised? They had been trying to make us watch the movie for a while, now.

I have been known to watch sci-fi, when I can, so I did not need much convincing to see it. Going into the movie theater, I only hoped it would be good, so the prestigious reputation of science fiction would not be tainted. Coming out of the movie theater, I had only one word: Wow. This movie told a story as old as time, but it was written and directed so well, that I felt I too had walked the alien planet. I felt pleasantly surprised that a movie like that could make me feel so emotionally connected to fictional characters.

After the movie, I came home to unexpectedly find two old friends of my grandparents whom I have not seen since I was a child. The smell of hot chocolate wafted from the den to my inhaled breaths. Ahhhh...the picture was practically perfect, with all of us parked around the Christmas tree, sipping our mugs of hot cocoa, catching up on all that had passed.

I happened a glance at the clock and realized that I had not much time before the staff Christmas party. I raced to my room to hurry everything together. I noticed an envelope, lying on my bedspread. "What's this?" Jessica read over my shoulder and we both realized that it was from our Nana in California. What fun! Putting it lovingly aside for later, we dashed out the door, just in time to be fashionably late...again...

There's nothing better than spending time with those you love. Our staff Christmas party felt more like a family reunion, even though we were not family and we had just seen each other yesterday. Our hostess created a warm atmosphere for our party, and cooked a feast fit for a king. Her husband shocked us with magic tricks galore, and we giggled until our sides were sore. But his jokes were not what I most adored, for there was something more that left me floored.

I wish I could tell you, dear reader, but it would ruin the surprise.


On the sixth day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me six sweet surprises, five Christmas treats, four different books, three great dames, two hands two thumbs, and a volunteer named Mary.