This was originally written by my wife Carol but i thought it a fun read and reposted it. There is no BTB or any of your standard LW fare here. Thought about placing it in the humor category but the lead character is definitely LW material.
'Twas the night before Christmas
If I were asked what my favorite things in life are, Christmas would be close to the top of the list. I just love Christmas. I love everything about it. The smell of a real pine tree, the music in the stores, the fabulous decorations, and the whole festival mood is so enchanting. I usually start preparing a month before. I've been hand-making most of the ornaments and constructing a gingerbread house with my kids.
This Christmas is very special because my boys are four and six, and it could be the last Christmas they still believe in Santa. So... I've enlisted my husband Mark to play Santa this year. That is why we're here at the costume shop with him, trying on Santa costumes. However, with Mark's attitude towards the holidays, he should be trying on an Ebenezer Scrooge outfit.
Annie's Costume shop caters to a more wealthy clientele, which we are unfortunately not. But, I know they have the very best. I saved all year, and I'll be damned if a high price and disgruntled husband were going to deter me from my plans.
"Excuse me, miss," I asked the clerk.
"May I help you, ma'am?" she replied, with a friendly smile.
"Yes, you may. I'm Mrs. Lassiter, and my husband has been in the changing room for quite a while, trying on a Santa suit. I wonder if you could send in someone to check on him?"
"I will send one of the stock boys, but be advised the Santa suit takes a while to fit properly, with the beard, wig, and rubber belly to put on." She motioned to a young man.
After what seemed like forever, there he was. It was marvelous—a hundred times better than I had ever imagined. I ran toward him, exclaiming, "Oh my goodness! This is perfect!" I threw my arms around him and kissed him through the white beard.
If there was ever a real Santa, he couldn't have looked any better than Mark. The suit looked very authentic. It was even smudged with charcoal, and the black boots had cracks in them, like they've been worn for years.
"You look perfect, Mr. Lassiter," the clerk said, taking a flash picture for their customer promotion.
"I look like an idiot!" Mark replied.
"We'll take it. Do you accept personal checks?" I asked.
"Yes ma'am, we do, with two forms of identification."
"Mark, you go change, and be careful taking it off. I'll pay for it," I instructed, opening my purse.
"The things I do for that woman," he muttered, just loud enough to be heard while walking toward the dressing rooms.
We stopped at a couple more stores on the way home. Mark was my pack mule in tow, carrying boxes and moaning about me spending his hard earned money. He actually should be proud of the way I don't charge things and keep us debt free. I'm very frugal almost all year, but there is something about Christmas that opens people's hearts... and wallets.
Before I go any further, I don't want to give the wrong impression about Mark. Except for his attitude about the holidays, he's a really great guy, a wonderful husband, provider, father, and soul mate. He's one of those guys girls look at and comment that all the good ones are taken.
Mark peeked between the arm-full of packages and asked, "Ginny, can we go home now? I have a brief that has to completed by Monday."
"Yes dear, we are done shopping... for today."
"Groan."
On the way home, the traffic was jammed around the mall area, and we were moving at a crawl. Mark has absolutely no patience when it comes to the crowded Christmas shopping either. He compares shoppers to sharks at a feeding frenzy. I just think of it as part of the season—the joyous collective celebration of a wonderful time of year.
While waiting for the traffic light to change, Mark said, "Ginny, every year you kill yourself buying packages for others, cooking and baking, but when I ask you what you want, you always reply the same. So this year, I don't want to hear you say 'nothing'."
"Okay, I won't say 'nothing'. In fact, there is something I truly want that only you can give me."
"Great! And what might that be?"
"Hun, I'm twenty-nine this year, and think it's time for another child. I would love to have a little girl. You've got your boys, and I think our family would be complete if we gave them a little sister."
