Santa had a bit of fun at our house last night, yes he did.  The girls decided that a glass of milk and homemade fudge would be better for him than the recommended scotch and popcorn; maybe it was the sugar rush that made him feel impish.

The stockings were stuffed, wrapped packages stacked carefully nearby, but there was a dearth of the usual Christmas morning shrieking when I awakened this morning.  As I wandered out to make coffee, Beta thrust a gift into my hands, not to be deterred: it was a bottle of my favorite Starbucks peppermint syrup for my morning jolt.  The younger two were calm, though.

Between the emptied stockings (chocolates, a new toothbrush, art supplies, etc.) and new pajamas though, was a small unopened box, yet unnoticed on the floor.  They were hoping for a Wii bit bigger box, but there was none to be found.  I inquired about the lonely little box, addressed to Gamma and Delta, so they obliged by opening it.

Inside were some random glass fishbowl rocks (for weight and sound effect), and a note:  "Look where it’s cold, icy like the North Pole."  First they looked outside on the back porch, then the front, before someone thought to check the freezer, where they found a box of soap.  With another note: "Delta’s chore." 

Everyone here knows that Delta’s job is to empty the dishwasher and put the clean dishes away, but there wasn’t anything in the dishwasher but clean dishes.  After a few moments’ frustration, they began putting away the dishes, and found yet another small box with a note: "Where Delta reads, look for the invisible ink."  Now this could have been a real goose chase, since Delta devours books, but they soon figured out that the kitchen computer has a printer above it that’s out of ink… and on that printer was yet another box.  This clue read, "Brush your teeth."

Near their toothbrushes was a slightly larger package, containing a Wii nunchuk, and yet another note: "There’s a basket in the living room with things to be put away."  Upon putting away the the clean folded towels, they discovered Zach and Wiki, followed by squeals and excitement when they looked into the farthest reaches of the linen closet, finding a shiny wrapped package of the proper dimensions to be the coveted, most wished-for item.

Peace on Earth, goodwill to all, and thanks to whatever stroke of luck allowed this to happen.  I hate that there’s another video game in this house with already too many electronic distractions, but there’s nothing like happy children on Christmas night.