Song of the Moment

Song of the Moment: "Shake it Out" by Florence + The Machine

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Alex's Christmas Surprise

Since 2010, I have been writing a Christmas related blog post.  I looks like every other year, I get the urge to write something festive (you can read my previous post here as well).  This year, I was inspired by my six year old nephew, Alex.  This post is for him.  


          

           This year, Alex was determined to get everything he wanted for Christmas.  He was going to do as he was told, pick up his toys, and say please and thank you at every opportunity.  He was going to be on Santa’s Nice List.  Why was this so important this year?  Because he wanted, no he needed, The Imaginext Super Nova Battle Rover.  He was going to fight aliens with his rover.  With his imagination, he was going to be a hero!  His only problem was, sometimes being good all the time was a little hard. 
            You see, Alex was a good kid.  He was very kind hearted and generous, but got distracted very easily.  It was hard to stay focused, especially when it was something he didn’t want to do, like picking up his toys or getting ready for bed.  He would delay and make excuses, just to make time last a little while longer.  This December though, everything was going to change. 
            “Alex, it’s time to get ready for school.  Go get dressed.  We have to leave in 30 minutes,” his mother yelled from the top of the stairs.
            “Five more minutes, Mom!” he yelled back.  “My show is almost over.”
            “Alexander, right now,” his mom said from behind him.  “Go upstairs, right now.  We can’t be late.  This is your last day until Christmas Break.  You have a lot going on today, remember.?  It’s your Holiday party.  You don’t want to be late.”
            “Oh, right.  Ok, I’m going,” Alex turned off the TV and ran upstairs. 
            All day at school he couldn’t stop thinking about his Imaginext Super Nova Battle Rover.  He thought about who he would play with, where they would play, and what type of aliens they would battle.  Jacob, Josh, Peter and Alex would all play in Alex’s bedroom and they would create an alien world on his bedroom floor.  The Imaginext Super Nova Battle Rover would carry his astronaut into battle.  Alex was so distracted that he didn’t notice his teacher saying his name. 
            “Alex, it’s your turn to share what you and your family will be doing over vacation,” his teacher said, as she motioned for him to come to the front of the class.
            Alex went up to the front of the room, but since he was shy, it took him a little while to get the courage to speak to his class.  He told his classmates that he was hoping to have snow to play in and that he’d asked Santa for the Battle Rover. 
            “That’s stupid, Santa isn’t real!” yelled a boy from the back of the room.
            “Yes, he is!” Alex yelled back.  Alex was so embarrassed that he ran back to his seat and put his head down on his desk.
            Alex’s teacher, Ms. Stohl came over to Alex’s desk to console him. “Don’t worry, Alex.  There are some people in this world who don’t believe in Santa, but you know what?  I still believe.  Santa will still come to family’s homes for as long as you believe.  If you’re a good boy, which I know you are, Santa will bring what you ask for. 
            This made Alex feel much better.  If his teacher believed, then he still had a chance of getting the toy he wanted on Christmas Day. 
                Days went by after Alex’s last day of school before break.  Every day he thought about the toy he so desperately wanted.  He was a good boy during those days, too.  He was for sure going to be on Santa’s Nice List.  In the back of his mind though, he thought about what that boy had said in class.  Could it be?  Was Santa not real after all?  He had to get it out of his head.  As long as he believed, Santa would come.  It became a daily ritual for those few days.  He would wake up in the morning and say to himself, “Santa is real and he will come on Christmas Eve night.”
            After his family Christmas party on Christmas Eve, Alex ran up to his bedroom as soon as they got home.  He was going right to bed, to make Christmas morning come quicker.  He climbed into bed with his pillow pet and special blanket and snuggled in for the night. 
            Alex had been in bed for a few hours when he heard a noise.  It sounded like scratching.  He got out of bed and looked out his window.  Down on his lawn, he saw something his eyes almost didn’t believe.  It looked like a deer, but was twice the size.  The antlers were almost as tall as the beast itself.  Alex realized it wasn’t any ordinary deer.  It was a reindeer! 
            There was a real reindeer in his yard, which meant Santa must have come to his house already!  He jumped back into bed.  It was hard for him to admit, but he was a little scared.  Did Santa really come to his house?  He believed he would, but seeing it right before his eyes was a little intimidating.  Instead of going downstairs right then, he decided to wait until his big sister was awake too, so they could go down together.  It didn’t take long until his was asleep again.
            “Wake up, Alex!  Wake up!” his sister Abby yelled from the entry way of his door.  “It’s Christmas morning!”
            Alex jumped out of bed and ran downstairs with his sister.  There was a pile of wrapped packages all around their tree.  Their stockings were overflowing with all kinds of specials gifts and candy.   Alex looked around the tree, but didn’t see his Imaginext Super Nova Battle Rover.  He was disappointed.  He thought for sure he was going to be on Santa’s Nice List. 
            “Why do you look so sad, Alex?” his dad asked.
            “Santa didn’t bring what I asked for,” Alex said with a pout. 
            “Are you sure?  You better look again, buddy,” Alex’s dad said.
            Alex dug a little deeper and pushed away his sister’s presents that were in front and finally saw what he had been dreaming about for weeks.  Under the tree was his Battle Rover. 
            “Are you happy now, buddy?” his dad asked.
            “Oh, yes I am!” Alex exclaimed as he jumped up and down.  Alex stopped jumping and ran to his mom.  “Do we have a piece of paper somewhere?  I need to write a note,” he said to his mom.
            Alex’s mom gave him a piece of notebook paper and a pen.  He sat down at the table, before opening all of his other presents, so he could write a note to someone special.  It took him a while, since Alex was only six years old, but he didn’t stop until his was finished.
           
Dear Ms. Stohl,
Thank you so much for reminding me it’s ok to believe in Santa.
  I saw one of Santa’s reindeer last night and I know I wouldn’t have if I didn’t believe. 
I got what I asked for, too.  Santa is real.  I just wanted you to know.
Love, Alex.