Their 'Cabbage Patch' Christmas

You've all heard me rant and rave about our elves that came to visit recently. Last night, they along with their reindeer friend boarded the sleigh with Santa for a first-class ride back to their home in the North Pole. The boys didn't want to see them go, but this morning there wasn't much talk of the elves what with the commotion and excitement of Christmas morning. *whew* I on the other hand am glad to see them go for a while!

Ok bear with me here, this will all tie together if you read this entire blog. When I was a little girl there was nothing more desired for Christmas one particular year than Cabbage Patch dolls. Nowdays, I see them sitting in the doorway of Walmart, almost as an afterthought. But when I was in pigtails, all the girls longed for a Cabbage Patch doll and they were as hard to get your hands on as a Wii is today. So I of course paid my visit to Santa at the mall and put in my request for said doll, knowing if I asked Santa I'd definitely get one! Christmas morning came and I tore open all my gifts, I didn't have one Cabbage Patch doll--I had TWO of them. One was bald, one had a tiny patch of blonde hair atop her little round, plastic head. I was beside myself! I credited Santa for really coming through for me that year and I couldn't wait to tell my friends.

Fast forward a few years later when life was not so simple anymore and the innocent ideals of Santa and elves had long past. Leading up to Christmas, my mother tells me the story behind the year I got those two Cabbage Patch dolls from Santa: With such a high demand, Toys R Us in Montgomery (where we lived at the time) had gotten in a huge shipment of them but were only letting in a certain number of people and each person could only purchase one doll. Just before Christmas people were lined up outside the toystore in the freezing cold all night long-literally-and two of those people included my daddy and my big brother. They each got a turn to go inside and so they each got me a Cabbage Patch doll which Santa totally stole all the credit for easily getting and bringing to me that year. Needless to say, even as a teenager hearing this for the first time, the thought of those two guys standing in the cold all night so that I could get at least one of those precious, plastic, hot commodities touched me to the core and now when I do go by a Cabbage Patch doll in any store and see an entire aisle of them I think about that Christmas about 25 years ago and I'm overcome with emotion and choke back tears. What a perfect example of a family's love for each other. Especially at Christmas.

So here I am, December 2008 and my own two precious children have these elves (which are all the rave amongst their peers) that they write notes to nightly expressing their love and friendship to and the newest addition, Snowflake, the reindeer. Now, these things are your average run-of-the-mill, MADE IN CHINA pieces of work. Somebody out there somewhere is going to the bank on this elf madness and I'd like to find them and shoot them, but I digress. Snowflake hadn't been in our home more than a few days when in the twinkling of an eye, my rotten dog got a hold of him and tore him wide open and had his stuffing on display all throughout the living room. Oh. My. Lord. I found this masacre just as the boys were coming upstairs and I had to assure them quickly that although this looks terrible, I was positive the elves would find a way to fix Snowflake even if they had to call on some friends to make a trip down from The Pole and help! After they dried their eyes (Evan was heaving sobs) and told the dog for the 50th time how much they hated him, they believed me and left a note to their elves, Fairbanks and Tristan, telling of the tragedy and pleading for help for Snowflake. While they're doing this, I'm considering killing Bailey for sneaking in Ev's room and getting Snowflake (he's way too much like one of Bay's toys) and I'm also online with my Master Card getting a new Snowflake sent here UPS asap!!! That night the "elves" wrapped Snowflake up with TP like gauze and sealed it with a Band-Aid and assured the boys in a note he'd be good as new in a couple of days; they had help on the way. Sure enough, 2 business days later, Snowflake was like brand new! ;-) The happiness of my children made the sacrifice I had to make buying a new one all worth it. WELL...just over a week ago, the boys were in school and it was my first day home after finals. I was in my bedroom folding clothes, chatting on the phone with my sister, and a short while after I walked into the living room and what did I find??? Yes. Bailey had gotten in a chair in the kitchen and gotten Snowflake #2 off the table and once again destrooooooooyed that stupid flippin' stuffed toy. I think I blacked out, I know I got dizzy, probably from being breathless screaming profanities at the dog. Again. After the talks I'd had with the boys about putting the elves and reindeer where the dog couldn't get them, he'd found a way despite our efforts. This time, I hid Snowflake #2's mangled corpse and told the boys he must be hiding or something and again ordered ANOTHER Snowflake (yes, number 3) to take its place and it was here almost the next day and brought a surprise (a new DVD) with him and we assumed Snowflake went to find them a present, etc....

Of course, the boys have no clue that we're on our third reindeer and who knows when the day will come when I can finally tell them the drama that went on over this elf/reindeer fiasco that they enjoyed so very much, how I stayed up late every night for over a month to make it look like these elves had been doing things in the house, eating their crackers (putting them back in the box), drinking their water (pouring it out), writing notes back nightly to them, and spending a ridiculous amount of money on a stuffed reindeer that probably cost .15 a piece to make in a sweat shop in Taiwan. When they do hear the story someday, I will also be at liberty to tell them about my Cabbage Patch dolls and I pray that their hearts will be as melted as mine was over my baby dolls when they realize the lengths I went to for their Christmastime merriment with the elves and replacing that reindeer twice because I didn't want them to be broken hearted. Especially at Christmas.

Are they spoiled? Maybe. Are they loved, adored, and taken care of greatly? Absolutely. It all evens out at the end of the day. At this very moment, it's lunchtime on Christmas Day and they have been up since 6am in absolute amazement and wonderous joy that only a child could have on a day like this, playing with toys and getting along together which is a miracle in itself!

Thank God for the people that would stand outside all night in the cold for us.

Merry Christmas.