Christmas Memories: Surprise!

I was sure of it....next Christmas would be better. Well, I'm not exactly sure if it was the next year or not, but this is a story of the Christmas of the Big Surprise! As usual, the tree was overflowing, the food was in abundance, and the family was large. In great anticipation all the children and most of the adults were gathering in the living room. Dad was at his usual place at the dining room table; mother was at her usual place in the kitchen. Suddenly - a knock on the front entry door. Now what was that all about??? No one ever used the front door. And who dared interrupt us just as we were gathering around the tree??? Someone finally opened the door and we all heard a hearty "HO! HO! HO!" And there appeared a real live Santa with a sack over his shoulder! What a surprise. Several of the younger children ran and hid, with their little heads peaking out from under chairs, around the corner, behind their mother. I was really mystified, as I was old enough to know that there was not a real Santa. But who could this be? Santa, with help from my sisters, reached into his sack and pulled out a large red stocking for each child. I cannot remember what was in the stockings, but I can still see them. They each had a name done in glitter, with cotton at the top. After all the stockings were distributed, Santa wished us all a merry Christmas, and departed back into the night. It wasn't until much later that I found out who Santa was -- my Mother! She sure did a good job - I didn't even recognize her voice. Mom, Dad and my sisters planned this for weeks, making a Santa outfit out of red flannel pajamas and each stocking made from red flannel. I don't think any of us who were there that night will ever forget when Santa showed up for Christmas eve! It reminds me of a present I will never forget - a present I still have.