Laurie Hackett
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/teacupsinthegarden
A few years ago we had a typical Christmas lights joyously twinkling, cheerful strains of music heralding our Savior’s birth and delicious smells of sugar and spice wafting from the oven, while I put the final touches on costumes for our church Christmas program. Then the doorbell rang.
As I opened the door, there was no one to be seen. Glancing down I saw a can with a note, “On the first day of Christmas your crazy friends gave to you…a can of pears!” Each night my kids had fun trying to catch our “crazy friends” and predicting their creative gifts.
Two turtle doves–a bag of Dove chocolates
Three French horns–a bag of fancy frozen French fries
Four calling birds– a child’s plastic cell phone
Five golden rings–a can of pineapple rings
Six geese-a-laying–apple ornaments
Seven swans-a-swimming–swan bubble bath
Eight maids-a-milking–butterscotch candies
Nine ladies dancing–dancing shoes
Ten lords-a-leaping–rubber balls
Eleven pipers piping–whistles
Twelve drummers drumming. When we opened the door, our friends sang, “On the 12th day of Christmas your crazy friends gave to you “Happy Birthday Jesus” pencils!”
It was a joyous time as we hugged and laughed. I asked my friend how she pulled it off. She smiled and said her kids dressed in black, like secret agents. She dropped them off and drove to the end of the street while they sneaked the gift to the door and rang the doorbell. They hastily sped down the street, jumped in their van. My friend knew how busy I was with the Christmas pageant at church, and she wanted to return a blessing to me. Indeed, she truly made me feel blessed for twelve days of Christmas and many days thereafter.
