BBs Blog

It all started with Santa’s white beard and the trim on his red coat. They had a dirty yellowish tinge to them that just would not do. And the abominable snowman I scrubbed with carpet cleaner last year, just wasn’t as snow white as he should have been. Next to the brand new polar bear I bought this year, those other two mechanical decorations looked downright dingy. But, I had more than mere canned carpet cleaner to work with this year. I whipped out my hand held steamer, and gave the two older decorations a thorough steaming to loosen that dingy grime, then shampooed them again with more canned carpet cleaner.

Once I had the older decorations cleaned up and looking like new again, I sat Santa and his reindeer under the front of the Christmas tree. Then it dawned on me that although they looked great under the tree, putting Santa and his reindeer there was not one of my brighter ideas. The tree already offered an enticing array of toddler temptations that would draw my adorable grandson to it like a magnet when he arrived for a holiday visit . The last thing it needed was a singing Santa and reindeer at the bottom of it. That’s when the light bulb went off, and I set about shamelessly using the caroling critters to set a trap that would lure him away from the bright lights and temptations of the tree.

After creating the perfect toddler enticing trap in front of the safe flickering flames of the electric fireplace, I gave Santa’s hand a squeeze, and watched as he lip synced to Ricky Martin’s Livin La Vida Loca. Then laughed with childlike glee as the reindeer turned his head and moved his lips in synch to the song. Next I squeezed Mr. Abominable’s foot, and smiled as the voice of Burl Ives sang, It’s A Holly Jolly Christmas. And just so the new little polar bear wouldn’t feel left out, I squeezed his front paw, and watched with amusement as he spun around singing, You Make Me Want To Shout, Merry Christmas! Then I set all three of them off at once, and knew when Chris and family arrived, we were bound to have a very Holly Jolly, Livin La Vida Loca, Make You Want to Shout! kind of Yuletide. But, aren’t those the best kinds of Holiday Happenings?

As I sat gazing at the critters looking so clean and cute in front of the fireplace, and thinking about how much fun my grandson will have playing with them when he comes for a visit this year, I decided to start a tradition with the caroling critters. Each year that my grandson is young enough at heart to enjoy them, I intend to add at least one new critter to the fireside caroling critters collection. It will be fun to see which of the critters becomes his favorites as the years go by. Visits to Granny BB’s house at Yuletide will be filled with fun noisy times in front of the fireplace that make him laugh with glee. I hope the fireside caroling critters will become one of the many happy memories of Yuletide my grandson will have when he is grown. And when I am no longer here, the fireside caroling critters will be in the hands of his parents so that in time, they can watch their grandchildren enjoying them.

I will be taking next week off to enjoy the Yuletide season with Chris and family, so I would like to wish one and all a very Happy And Safe Holiday Season.