The Week Before Christmas

Dec 18

 

‘Twas a week before Christmas and all through the house,

The children were running and laughing real loud.
The stockings hung neatly on stair rails instead,
In hopes that no one would pull a stocking holder down on their head.

The children were running wild in the backyard
With visions of running off cookies packed with sugar and lard.
Daddy with his X-Box, and I with a piece of cake

Had just sat down for a long-deserved break.
When out in the yard, there arose such a clatter,
We got up off the couch to see what was the matter.
Away to the back door we flew like a kite,
Tore open the door to check out the sight.

The sun shining down on the grass brown and crunchy,
Illuminated Colin and Faith throwing punches.
When what to my astonished eyes should appear,
But scratches and bruises and lots of shed tears.

More rapid than eagles the tears as they came,
I whistled, Daddy shouted, and called them by name;
“Now Colin, now Faith! Oh, Daughter, Oh Son!
To the top of the stairs! To your beds you must run!

Don’t waste a minute, don’t stumble or fall,
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

So up to their rooms they flew right away,
I knew from Daddy’s anger they’d be there all day.
And then, in a twinkling, the sound my ears did meet
Was the pitter and patter of four little feet.

In each hand were toys, at the rails they looked around
To see if their Daddy was anywhere to be found.
He sat on the couch now calmed down a bit.
So they crept down to stairs to his side they did sit.

His eyes – how they crinkled! His brows scrunched all in.
His mouth looked like a hard line right above his round chin.
“We’re sorry,” said Colin. “So sorry,” echoed Faith.
They looked with droopy eyes all up in his face.

Daddy couldn’t stay angry at those two little elves
And laughed when we saw them, in spite of himself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon they knew they had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word; put his arms around each,
And knew this was a moment about God’s grace to teach.
After kissing both heads and hugs passed around
Suddenly, there was peace and quiet to be found.

The children content with Daddy to snuggle,
No longer found reasons to get into trouble.
I heard Daddy exclaim before his nodding head snored,
“l love you today and tomorrow even more.”

The moral of this story you’re reading this night
Is with Daddy they’ll snuggle, in the backyard they’ll fight!

Inspired by Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
 
Merry Christmas Y’all!
Carol

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  • DeAnna Dec 18 at 10:55 pm

    Have you been at my house peeking around? It seems that mischief and fussing are all around lately, huh?! I love the poem. It’s too cute!

  • The Stokes Family Dec 19 at 1:10 pm

    LOL–sounds like one of the TWO houses we’ve been living in during the last week . . .

    Amanda

  • Amy Wyatt Dec 19 at 2:33 pm

    Absolutely adorable! I love it.
    Amy

  • MaryLu Dec 19 at 3:11 pm

    That is a good one.
    My kids have much the same predicaments.
    Love the poem.

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