Christmas at the Grey's

'Theodore, are you getting ready for bed?' My Mommy shouts at me from down the stairs.

'Yes Mommy!' I say to her and I put my pyjama top over my head and put my arms in the holes and then run down stairs. Mommy is standing at the bottom and smiles at me when she sees me and I give her a big hug.

'Are you excited for Santa, Ted?' she asks me and I nod my head fast. I can't wait for Santa to visit me. I have asked him for LOADS and I hope I get everything. Mommy takes my hand and we walk into the lounge, Daddy is sitting on the floor playing with my baby sister Phoebe who is two. She is laughing at daddy because he is pulling funny faces and making silly noises.

'Ted, sweetheart, shall we leave some mince pies out for Santa? And then go to bed?' Mommy says pulling me on her knee. I don't want to go to bed yet.

'Do I have to mom? I want to watch TV and have milk and cookies!'

'Yes, the quicker you go to bed the quicker Santa will come and he won't come if you are naughty or awake. Now, go and find Gail and ask her VERY nicely if she can get the mince pies and milk'

'Ok Mommy!' I get off the sofa and run into the kitchen. Gail is at the cooker and is stirring something and it smells yummy. I walk up to Gail and tap her, she turns around and smiles at me.

'Hello Ted, what can I do for you?' I like Gail, she is always kind, not like Daddy, sometimes he is angry when I do something wrong.

'Hi Gail, my Mommy has asked if you can get the mint pies and milk for Santa?'

'Of course Ted, how about we get a carrot for Rudolph also?'

'Why would Rudolph want a carrot? I ask, Mommy has never mentioned a carrot before.

'Ok, so you know the story of Rudolph being asked to lead Santa's sleigh don't you' I nod my head 'Well, that nose of his needs fuel like a car needs gas. If Rudolph doesn't eat carrots then his nose doesn't light up and you know what that means don't you?'

I look at Gail and think for a moment but I still don't know what it means.

'It means that Santa can't drive his sleigh which means that all the children in the world won't get any presents and that means you too. So every child leaves a mince pie and a glass of milk for Santa so he doesn't get hungry and a carrot for Rudolph so he can light up the way. Do you understand now?'

I nod my head and Gail smiles and goes into the fridge and brings out a plate with a mint pie on it and the milk carton. She gets a glass and pours the milk into it and she grabs a carrot where all the other vegetables are kept, she grabs my hand and we walk back to Mommy, she is watching daddy and Phoebe playing.

'Mommy! Guess what?' I run to her and hug her, I love hugging my Mommy, she is so warm and soft.

'What sweetheart?' she says.

'Gail has got a carrot for Rudolph so he can have some gas!' Mommy and Gail start to laugh at me. Why are they laughing? Have I done something funny?

'Gas sweety?' Mommy asks me. I nod my head.

'Yes, Rudolph needs gas to keep his nose shining so Santa can drive the sleigh and we can have presents'

'Oh, ok then. Well we had better leave the carrot out for him then. We don't want to let Rudolph's nose stop shining do we? I shake my head. Mommy takes the plate off Gail and puts it on the fire place. 'We will put it here so Santa knows where they are when he visits ok? Now let's get you and your sister to bed. Christian? It's time for bed for them now baby'

Daddy turns around and picks Phoebe up and she starts to cry, I don't like it when she cries, it hurts my ears.

'No bedtime! Sess mee stweet!' Phoebe shouts.

'No Sesame Street now baby, it's time for bed. Santa is coming in the morning and you will get presents' Daddy says and carries Phoebe to me.

'Guess what Feebs? We have left a carrot and mint pie for Santa and Rudolph'

Phoebe stops crying and looks at me. He face is all red and wet.

'It's called a mince pie son' Daddy says and laughs at me 'have you got your stocking up ready for Santa?'

'Yes Daddy, it's hanging over there' I point to the fire place. Phoebe, Mommy and Daddy have got a stotting too, they have our names written on them. Mommy said that Santa fills it with lots of little presents.

'Ok then Ted, let's take you to bed. Say goodnight to Mommy'

I walk over to Mommy and Gail.

'Good night Mommy, I love you' I hug her and she bends down and kisses my head.

I lie down in my bed and snuggle under my blanket, it is nice and warm. Daddy is closing my curtains and putting the light that keeps the monsters away on.

'Daddy, we need to check there is no monsters afore we put the light on.'

'Oh yes, silly me. Now, let's have a look in the closet. Monster, are you in there?' Daddy quickly opens the closet and looks in there.

'NO!' I laugh, Daddy is so silly.

'Are you under the bed?' He looks in the bed

'NO!'

'Well son, it looks likes the Monster Light works. OK, goodnight Theodore. I love you'

'I love you too Daddy!'

I wake up and it is still dark outside, it mustn't be time to wake up yet. I get up and look out of my window. It's snowing! I wipe away all the steam on the window and sit on my window sill watching the snow fall onto the floor. I am getting tired again so I go back to sleep in my bed, I wonder if Santa has been yet?

When I wake up, the sun has woken up so that means it is time to wake up. I run out of bed and into Mommy and Daddy's room. I jump up and down on their bed and start shouting

'IT'S CHRISTMAS! MOMMY, DADDY WAKE UP! HAS SANTA BEEN YET?'

Mommy and Daddy sit up and laugh at me. Why does everyone keep laughing at me?

'Well, we will have to go and look won't we? Come on, let's get up' I get off the bed and wait for them to get their robes on.

We go and get Phoebe, she is already awake and then we walk down stairs and into the lounge. Wowee! There are lots and lots of presents under the tree.

'Are these all for me?'

'Well, shall we read the tag and see who they are for? I think some of them might be for your sister too' Daddy says.

'OK, Can I open one now?' I shake a box and listen but there is no noise coming from it.

'Yes, this one is for you, you can open it now'

I grab the big present and rip the paper open.

'Oh wow! A remote control car! Can I play with it now? Please?'

'No son, you have lots of presents to open and then you can play with it. Now this present is for Phoebe. Here you go sweetheart, open the present'

Daddy passes the present to Phoebe but she snatches it out of his hand and shakes it. When she opens it she screams, it is a Dora the Explorer Doll, I don't like that cartoon, it is for girls. Daddy gives the next present to Mommy.

'Baby, this one is for you.' Daddy walks over to her and gives her the present. She opens it and smiles at Daddy and he smiles back.

'What is it Mommy?' I ask and she smiles at me.

'It's perfume darling, do you want to smell?' I nod my head and she opens the box and sprays the perfoom on to her skin and I smell. It smells of candy.

'You smell really lovely Mommy' I say and she smiles at me

'Thank you baby'

I have opened all my presents and I am playing with my car. I have had lots and lots of presents and I love all of them. I am making a zoom noise with my car driving it into the kitchen and chasing Gail with it.

'Hello Kidda! How's my favourite nephew?' I turn around and I see Uncle Lelliot. I drop the controller and run to him and he picks me up and twirls me around.

'Uncle Lelliot!'

'Merry Christmas Ted Bear, I see you have opened all of your presents. How would you like one more?'

'Yes please!' He goes out of the room and comes back in with a HUGE present. I rip it open and I look to see what it is. 'A drum kit! Thank you!'

'Oh, thanks for that big brother, what a wonderful loud present you have given our very active son, that is really something that will calm him down and keep him quiet. Nice going!' Daddy says to Lelliot.

'No problem Bro!' and Lelliot winks at me.

'Uncle Lelliot where is Aunt Kate and Ava? I want to show them my presents.'

'Well, Aunt Kate is talking to your Mommy in the kitchen and Ava is playing with Phoebe in the nursery.

'OK'

Mommy and Aunt Kate walks into the room.

'Aunt Kate!' I run up to her and she lifts me up on her knee but she has a big round belly. Mommy says a baby boy is growing inside and he is going to be a little brother to Ava.

'Hi Teddy, you are growing into a big boy aren't you? Have you had a good day today?' she is rubbing her belly and smiling

'Yes thank you. Aunt Kate?'

'Yes Ted Bear?'

'Is the baby hurting you? You are rubbing your belly and when people rub something it means they have hurt it'

She laughs at me and shakes her head. I must be really funny, I always make people laugh.

'No, the baby is moving about and is kicking me. Would you like to feel? Here, put your hand here' I put my hand on her belly and keep still and then I feel the belly move and I can see something poke out of her belly.

'Wow! That is good!'

Gail comes into the room and coughs making me jump. Everyone stands up and goes into the dining room. I follow them and when I get into the room I see loads of food on the table, I sit on the chair and smell the food, it is making my tummy growl.

After we have ate all the food I watch a cartoon called The Snowman, it has no words just music and it makes me happy. I am getting tired now. Mommy comes up to me and picks me up and carries me upstairs.

'Well, have you had a good day baby?' she asks me. I am too tired to talk and I just nod. Today has been fun, I love Christmas. Mommy puts me in bed and kisses my head.

'I love you Teddy, sleep tight'

'I love you too Mommy'