Dad Resorted to Jingle Bells… by Gabby Angel

I don’t mean the song either! This Christmas memory came back to me, and is too funny not to share. It was a Christmas Eve when Autumn and I were almost 14 years old. We didn’t believe in Santa Claus anymore by this time. However, the four younger sisters still did. They were from ages close to 10 to newborn. OK, so newborn baby sister was too young to have the concept of Santa I do need to say.

The other three sisters did, so this Christmas Eve we, along with Mom helped Dad perform some magic. Christmas songs had been sung, The Night Before Christmas was read…But the little sisters were still ignoring their bedtime! For real, the three of them had been tucked in at about 8 to 8:30PM. Not that they were staying put, Autumn and I tried getting them back to bed and had even read some more Christmas stories. One by one those little sisters came back downstairs for the third, then fourth time!

Mom and Dad were getting a bit perplexed to put it mildly. One good thing, the real baby of the youngest sisters slept peacefully on! Dad came up with a really good plan to get them to bed once and for all. He confided his plan to Mom, Autumn and me…It was a good one, too.

We had a set of jingle bells that were very loud, they were part of the decorations in the house. Attached to a long strand of heavy duty ribbon, they went along with a mini type sleigh. Very carefully Dad removed them and went sneaking out the front door. Meanwhile, we all distracted the little sisters in the kitchen…This was going to be good! Mom geared them up telling them they needed to be in bed before they heard the jingle bells from Santa’s sleigh. Well, we didn’t hear any bells, they of course all insisted. Autumn snuck herself out the side door, to tell Dad to let those bells jingle and that the little sisters were primed! Quickly she got back inside, not wanting to miss the looks on their faces. Dad was right outside the back door, by the kitchen…I had snuck over and opened it just a little bit. My goodness, did Dad ever give those jingle bells a good shaking! The little sisters faces? It was priceless, for real…Their eyes got big and they all got a  very surprised look on their faces.

Autumn and I were trying not to laugh and it was hard, too let me tell you. Well, next thing we know all three little sisters all took off racing up the stairs to their beds! Mom had Autumn and I go upstairs to get them all tucked in, so she should get Dad back inside and warmed up. She was going to have her and Dad come upstairs in a short while to kiss them all goodnight. Funny, none of the three had even noticed Dad was missing.

Autumn and I were thrilled over all the whispered “We heard Santa’s sleigh bells” and all the rest…They believed it! Mom and Dad came upstairs, all three were half asleep, yawing widely and happy to share good night kisses and hugs with Mom and Dad. Thankfully, they stayed put and were soundly asleep an hour later when Autumn and I went upstairs to our bedroom.

What a memory, the jingle bells were talked about the next morning and certainly years to come!

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