The Santa Files - My Friends Call Me Nick

It was getting late on Christmas Eve 2004, and almost four-year old, Emma sat on her living room couch. She had all her pictures that she had drawn for Santa. But she had kept it "a secret" from Mommy and Daddy as to what she wanted this year, because she wanted to see if Santa could deliver it. She had already sent her letter to Santa weeks before, but she knew some pictures on the fire place mantle for Santa to see.

It would definitely remind Santa of how important this Christmas present was; because, it wasn't just a gift for her, but for Mommy and Daddy too.

Carefully, she slid the pictures into a large 8 X 10 envelope, which she and Mommy had picked out at the Canada Post counter in the Shoppers Drug Mart. As if on cue, Daddy came into the living room to tell Emma:

"Hey Kiddo! It's time to get the cookies out for Santa."

"YAY! Do you think Santa will like the chocolate cookies with Skor bars in them Daddy?" He eyes were a bright as the moon when she asked.

"Well, who wouldn't? I mean you've been doing all this special baking for Santa, and drawing all his pictures...so secretively, I might add...HAHAHAH! Are you sure you don't want to tell us what’s in them?" Daddy was curious about the pictures, but Emma had made him promise, weeks before, not to ask what they were.

"No Daddy..." Emma's little face was now more serious, "It's a wish Daddy! And you can't tell wishes...Like on your birthday, when you blow out your candles...You can't tell!"

"OK Sweetie...I won't ask again...We'll know tomorrow morning," And with that he stopped asking.

"So...Are we going to leave out nine carrots for Santa?" Mommy asked as she burst into the room dancing, while Brenda Lee sang Christmas music on the stereo.

"Nine Carrots?" Daddy looked puzzled.

"Daddy, it's for the reindeer!" Emma looked quite surprised that this obvious fact had eluded Daddy's mind.

"Wait, I thought there were only eight reindeer," Daddy paused and started rhyming off all the reindeer names, "You know Dasher ...And Dancer, Prancer and Vixen...Comet, Cupid...Donne and Blitzen ...Yup Eight reindeer!" Now Emma was cross.

"Matt, aren't you the one always looking the skies on Christmas Eve for one particular reindeer, who had a shiny...nose...Come on you know this," Now, mom was annoyed.

"RUDOLPH...DADDY! Sheesh..." This almost four-year old child wasn't about to let her father not remember the greatest reindeer of all.

"Oh Right...RUDOLPH!" Now, Daddy was chuckling. It was obvious Daddy was playing with the both of them.

Mommy looked at Emma, "Well, I brought out all the cookies we made Emma, and the nine carrots, did you and daddy get out the green cookie plate for Santa?"

It was a tradition in Mommy's family to use her Great- Great Grandmother Charlotte's Christmas Glass Cookie Plate. It was a rare green glass plate made in 1886 by her three times Great Grandfather, Edward, as a present for his newly born Charlotte, as she had been born on December 25, 1886.

"Yes Mommy...It's on the coffee table...ls it true, your Great-Great Grandma Charlotte was born on Christmas Day?"

"Yes, it is sweetie...Legend has it in our family, a stranger, by the name of Nick, who was visiting Grandpa Edward's Feed and Mercantile Business for oats and hay for his livestock, had told your three times Great Grandfather Edward to have the local blacksmith help him blow a nice green glass plate before Christmas. He never explained why to grandpa Edward. But he somehow knew Edward’s wife would be having a child on or around Christmas, so he thought would be a lovely gift for the baby to commemorate her birth." Mommy explained.

"And Grandpa Edward was told that the plate would bring him good luck if he left it out for Santa by this man Nick?" Emma's eyes were shining bright as Christmas lights with curiosity.

"Yes baby...And Grandma Charlotte's plate had been put out every Christmas since 1886....And did you know when Grandpa Edward saw the plate on Christmas morning of 1886, there was a note from Santa, and all it said was "Yes", and two hours later Charlotte was born," Mommy paused, "And a few times over the years, that same note has appeared on the plate, and welcomed many family members into our lives on or around Christmas time."

"Like Aunt Gwen and Great Grandma Irene?"

"That's right sweetie! " Mommy was feeling the nostalgia for her family and Christmases past.

"But it's time to put your sealed pictures up on the mantle, and put the plate of cookies and carrots out or Santa won't come!" Daddy interrupted. But Daddy was right, it was time to sleep and dream of sugar plum faeries.

Emma hurried and placed the Christmas plate out with all her chocolate cookies and nine carrots. Then, daddy lifted her up, so she could reach the top of the mantle and leave her envelope to Santa marked "TOP SECRET - CHRISTMAS WISH - FOR YOUR EYES ONLY- SANTA." And as soon as Daddy put her on the floor again, she rushed upstairs to get into bed.

By the next morning, Emma came rushing down the old wooden stairs to the hallway into the front living room, and saw Mommy was already up and in the kitchen talking on the phone. Emma could smell the coffee brewing, so she knew Daddy must be up too. So, she darted into the Living room.

"Hey Sweetie...You're up! Yay! You should check out your stocking! I think Santa came through on your secret gift!" Daddy was sitting on the couch in his robe and track pants legs crossed, enjoying some Maxwell House Coffee that Mommy always made. Mommy was always the first to wake up on Christmas Day. There were presents of toys and big gifts all around. Emma’s Stocking was filled to the brim.

"Oh, my gift isn't in my stocking Daddy, It wouldn't fit...Silly" Her statement gave Daddy a confused look.

"Why wouldn't it fit in the stocking?" The curiosity was just killing him now. But before Emma could answer, her eyes caught the green Christmas plate. The cookies were gone! The Carrots were gone! And a little note sat on the plate. And Emma could see what was written on the note.

"Daddy! I got my wish, Look at the note!" And Emma pointed to the plate.

"Your wish?" All he could see was a very nice card with stenciled writing in green and red with one word on it. But before he could respond, Mommy came bursting in with a huge smile on her face.

"Matt, I have the greatest news!" She was beaming.

"Hang on hon...Emma was about to explain something to me" Daddy was focused on Emma, and not Mommy.

"Daddy! I got my wish! Look at the note! It's from Santa!" Emma repeated. Her voice was getting higher. Daddy picked up the card and looked at the calligraphy of the note...It had one single solitary word on it. Daddy stopped suddenly, and looked bewildered.

"Matt, what does it say?" Mommy was now very curious.

Daddy looked puzzled and excited by the note. It read “Yes!” he turned to Mommy, "I don’t understand this note Hon. It says, "Yes!" But, we already got the hospital test results this week hon...The hospital came back with the answer "no"...They said we could only have Emma...No more kids...But this card...ls this a joke?" He handed it to Mommy...and she stared at it for a second, then a huge grin overtook her face.

"No, hon...it’s not...The note is really from Santa...And he says "yes"...That was the hospital letting us know there was a mix-up...The test results were positive and we're having another baby!” Mommy could hardly contain herself.

"That's what I wished for Mommy! A Christmas Baby brother or sister! The, Emma squealed in delight! Daddy sat there in awe and amazement. Mommy grinned. Then, they all gathered together and hugged really hard! Because that's what you do, when you have a miracle happen at Christmas.

In the following year 2005, a new baby arrived, and she was healthy and happy. She was named Charlotte after her Great-Great-Great-Grandmother. On Christmas Day 2005, Emma found a brand-new note on the plate. It had more writing on it..."Hi Emma, please tell your dad, I saw him sledding back when he was a kid with all his friends, and Christmas is a time of miracles." Daddy Chuckled, when Emma read it.

"Did you have a Sled Daddy, when you were a kid?"

"Almost thought I wasn't going to get one, back in 1979. It was a bad snow storm that year, and I thought Santa wouldn't make it. But this kind old man, at the motel we were staying at reminded me of Rudolph and his shiny nose. And Santa came through for me, just like Nick said he would!"

Mommy looked at Daddy, and asked, "This gentleman's name was Nick?" And Daddy nodded, as Nick was the name of the gentleman who suggested the Christmas Cookie Plate be made for her Grandmother Charlotte years ago.

"So, you got a Christmas Miracle from Santa that year?" Emma asked Daddy.

Daddy turned to Emma, and laughed "Yes Sweetie, I did! And like all the note said, including last year's, “YES”…Christmas is a time of Miracles!"