Friday, December 16, 2016

A Christmas Mystery

My son loves nutcrackers. I have no idea why. This is not a passing phase. He has continued to add to his nutcracker collection for years. He loves attending Nutcracker performances. We couldn't afford to go this year and he was so disappointed. (Until I won free tickets from a local radio station!)

Noodle and I both love to decorate for holidays. We watch the "Great Christmas Light Fight" together and dream about having the resources to do a really big display at Halloween and Christmas. Instead, we have to satisfy ourselves with some shabby lighted garland.

Recently, I went on a Costco run with my friend Monique. I was helping her pick out a television. I have a love/hate relationship with Costco. I always get overwhelmed when I go and I can't focus. I end up wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles. After we picked out a television, Monique went over to the health aisle. I told her I wanted to check out the holiday decorations. Just for fun. I warned her, though, not to let me get too crazy. "Costco is the kind of place where you go for groceries and walk out with a six foot tall Nutcracker."

Five minutes later, I send Monique a text:






Now, there is no way I am going to spend $256 on a nutcracker. Even though I was tempted!

In the meantime, our Elf on the Shelf named Crumpet brought my son a new nutcracker as he does every year. It was a big hit. I figured that would be our great nutcracker moment of this Christmas. Noodle did inform me that he asked Santa for a giant Nutcracker but he knows Santa can't get EVERYTHING on one's wish list.

My husband got home today and found this sitting on our front porch.


It is a giant inflatable Nutcracker. Now, very few people know about my son's love of nutcrackers and even fewer know of my joke about getting a 6 ft. tall nutcracker. So where did this come from?  So far, no one has owned up to it.


When my son gets home from school today, this is what he will be greeted by:


Thank you to our mysterious Nutcracker benefactor!!!