Elves, a Horse and a Stick

We first asked Annalee what she wanted for Christmas back in early November. "A horse on a stick."

Whaaat? Oh, yes, I remember now. In August, on our way to northern Wisconsin, we stopped at a restaurant in the Dells that had a gift shop (of course it did). Annalee found a horse on a stick (you know, the kind you used to run around the yard playing like you were riding a horse?) and thought it was the coolest thing. We no sooner walked out of the restaurant and that horse was gone from my mind. But, obviously, that wasn't the case for Annalee.

A few days after we first asked her about gift ideas, we asked her again what she might like for Christmas. "A horse on a stick." 'Didn't you hear me the first time, mom?' was probably what she was thinking.

I cringed, as I did each time she would say this. I could just feel the walls getting banged into, the paint chipping, the drywall cracking. The walls that were freshly painted in September.

Weeks went by. Same question, same answer. Then, last week, Annalee came home from kindergarten with this:



Having trouble reading it? It says, 'Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is a Horse on a Stick.' There it was in black and white. There was no getting around this special request. You see, this note is for Santa. It needs to get set out with his milk and cookies on Christmas Eve.

So, I asked Annalee, "What if Santa doesn't bring a horse on a stick?"

Duh, mom. "Don't worry. The elves can make anything." Ahh, the mind of a five-year-old. So sweet, so innocent, so trusting.

And, me? Maybe I should ask Santa to bring some sheets of foam for the walls. 'Cause I know he's bringing that horse on a stick.