At last… At long last! Patrick was excited for Christmas this year. The whole season was wonderful.
Brian hung the Christmas lights on time to turn them on Thanksgiving night. Patrick laid in bed and looked at them each night and smiled and got up every morning excited to see them.
I got out the Christmas tree during his nap one day. He spent the entire afternoon hanging all the ornaments on a single branch. He loved it so much, I got out three more Christmas trees so we could do it again.
Macy’s was donating $1 to Make a Wish for every Santa letter mailed from their store. So Patrick and I wrote a letter. He wanted Santa to bring him a car. I showed him how to lick the envelope to seal it. He licked it. Until it was sopping wet. And then he took a bite.
And then he stood on his tip toes and mailed it. And made me write one then and there and mail it, too. I asked Santa to bring him a car.
We made ornaments. Lots and lots of ornaments. And hung them on the tree. And mailed them to family.
We went to Festival of Trees. Patrick was old enough for Kid’s Korner. We bought tickets and made lots of silly stupid crafts, most of which were broken and discarded soon afterwards. We got his face painted. He sat on Santa’s lap. He asked for a car.
He kind of smiled for the camera but the photo looks funny because he had a Christmas tree painted on his face. He actually wanted to see the trees this year.
We made cookie mixes.
We made so many cookie mixes that the flour got on Patrick’s hands and then in his eyes, and it hurt so bad we had to go wash his face.. Then asked to go back and we did it all again.
(Yes, with more hurt eyes.) I about bubbled over with the joy of finally finding a way for Patrick and I to bake together. (Just let someone else add the eggs and butter.) I took too many pictures.
We went to zoo lights. He ran around excitedly from one display to another. He wouldn’t walk inside the “tunnel of lights” because it was too exciting.
We drove an hour to take a “sleigh ride to Santa.” Patrick was less than impressed by the sleigh ride. Or the car ride.
But he was excited to see Santa. But Santa had a car RIGHT THERE in the workshop and he didn’t give it Patrick. We assured him that it would be worth the wait.
We drove to Layton for the HopeKids Christmas party. Patrick got the meet the Disney princesses. Belle let him wear her gloves and Alice, her headband. There was a magic show. Daddy helped Patrick catch a t-shirt. He met Santa again. And asked him for a car… again. By now, candy canes were renamed “Santa canes.” He was given a Dream Light that he now can’t sleep without.
When I was growing up my mom had an advent calendar on the wall. It had 24 slots that we filled with 24 daily activities till Christmas. I found a pocketed calendar and decided to do the same in our house this year. Can you tell it went over very well?
It’s been a lot of years since I got to see Christmas through the eyes of a child. This was a very magical Christmas season.
Patrick Hoopes 