We wish all our REAL McRollers and Readers who celebrate a Merry Christmas!
'Twas the Night Before Christmas-pt. 1 of the Eighth Annual REAL World Holiday Marathon
"On Dasher an' Dancer an' … an' … Comet!"
Steve and Catherine paused outside the playroom and exchanged a smile as they heard their daughter listing Santa's reindeer, emphasizing her favorite because of its space-themed name. They peered into the room and both had to stifle laughs.
Angie, lopsided Santa hat on her head covering one eye, was sitting on DJ's back and ringing a set of silver bells. He had a pair of reindeer antlers on his head and a big grin on his face as he crawled across the floor.
"Mommy! Daddy!" he said, spotting them first. "We're playing Santa and reindeer!"
"I'm Santa and DJ is all da reindeers," Angie told them.
Catherine chuckled as she and Steve came into the room, joining the kids on the floor. "We never would have guessed," she said, fixing Angie's Santa hat.
"I was da reindeer before but DJ didn't sit on my back 'cause he's big," she explained.
"Yeah, I sat on the chair," DJ said, pointing to one of the wooden chairs facing away from the table. "But it's more fun when I'm the reindeer 'cause Angie can sit on my back and we can go around the room like we're flying through the sky on Christmas Eve!"
"More fun, huh?" Steve asked, and Catherine grinned at the familiar twinkle in his eye. "Don't we have an elf hat around here somewhere?"
"Yeah!" Angie hopped off of her brother's back and ran over to the corner where a green elf hat had been flung at some point over the last week.
"Give that to your brother, then Santa and Santa's elf can take a ride on the big reindeer before everyone starts to arrive," he said, getting on all fours.
"Yay!" both kids cheered. DJ exchanged his reindeer antlers for the elf hat and waited for Angie to climb onto Steve's back before getting up behind her.
Catherine shifted out of the way, taking out her phone to record the ride.
"Wait, Daddy!" DJ cried. He pointed to his discarded headwear. "The antlers!"
"I'll put dem on you," Angie said, leaning down to try and reach them.
"I don't think these will fit Daddy," Catherine said, picking them up so Angie wouldn't fall off Steve's back.
"Dey'll fit," Angie assured her, leaning forward to place the headband on Steve's head as best she could. He winced at the tight fit and Catherine grinned as she managed to get a picture of his expression.
"I think we've got our Christmas card photo for next year," she teased.
"Pretty sure you need to be in it in that case, Lieutenant," he replied. "All right, let's go."
"Wait!" DJ said again. "We have to say the names."
"Yeah, all da reindeer names," Angie echoed.
"Okay, let's hear it," Steve said as Catherine readied her phone to record.
"Ready, Angie?" DJ asked.
"I'm very very ready!"
"On Dasher, on Dancer …" they began together.
Angie looked back at her brother for help with the next names.
"On Prancer and Vixen," they continued. "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen!"
Angie shook her bells and they finished with, "Now dash away all!" She tapped Steve on the back of the head. "Dat means go, Daddy."
With a wry smile in Catherine's direction, he said, "Merry Christmas to all."
Once Santa and the elf made their rounds all through the main floor of the house, causing Cammie to woof with glee and Pumpkin to retreat under the couch, the kids settled down to play in the living room while Steve and Catherine started a little prep work for the gathering later in the day. They couldn't help but notice both Angie and DJ seemed unusually anxious for the arrival of their grandparents, but they wrote it off to the excitement of Santa Claus's imminent arrival.
When Joseph, Elizabeth, and Grandma Ang finally pulled into the driveway, DJ and Angie beat not only their parents to the front door, but even the ever vigilant Cammie.
After a round of hugs and greetings DJ pulled Elizabeth aside and whispered, "We have a spot for the present, Grandma, it can go in my closet till it's time for Mommy and Daddy to open it, right, Angie?"
His sister nodded excitedly. "Shhh don't tell, it's a su'prise," she giggled and hugged her grandma's other side.
"That sounds perfect, sweetheart." Elizabeth kissed his head. "How about if Grandma Ang and I keep them on the deck and Grandpa goes out to the car and brings it up there?"
Catherine entered from the kitchen wiping her hands on a dish towel with Steve right behind her. "Where's Dad?"
"He ran back out to the car, he'll be right in," her mother said.
"Is he getting a ton of stuff? I'll help him carry…"
"He's fine, honey." His mother in law's raised brow had him stopping mid sentence. Seeing the relieved look on their kids' faces, Catherine and Steve shared a look.
"Okay then." Steve rubbed his hands together. "How about if we get back to setting up on the deck, Cath?"
"Let's do that," she said. "DJ, Angie, why don't you two see if Grandpa needs anything while Daddy and I are outside?'
"Okay, Mommy!" "Okay!" they echoed and beamed at each other, making both parents hide a grin.
As they went to the deck, Steve arm in arm with Grandma Ang, Catherine looped her arm through Elizabeth's. "Thanks."
"Why, sweetheart, I have no idea what you mean."
With a chuckle, she kissed her mom's cheek. "I know you don't. Thanks for that, too."
They set about the deck as Ang began arranging items on several trays, while in the living room Joseph was entering with a large wrapped package under Cammie's watchful supervision.
"Grandma and Grandma Ang are keeping Mommy and Daddy on the deck and we have a spot in my closet to keep it till later."
"We's hiding it till to'mowow so it can be a su'prise!" Angie clapped gleefully as she used a surprisingly soft voice in her excitement.
"They're going to love it," Joseph said as they reached the eight year old's room and he slid the package into the closet, making both children beam. After ruffling Cammie's fur, he wrapped an arm over each grandchild's shoulder and led the way to the hall. "We should get down there to help, before anyone gets suspicious and our covert op is blown."
DJ giggled and nodded as Angie hopped in place and reached for his hand on one side and her brother's on the other and the three started for the stairs with Cammie leading the way.
Over the next hour the guests all arrived and the beach house filled with the sounds of love and laughter that had become a familiar part of the large gatherings of loved ones that took place there on a welcomely regular basis.
Danny was watching as his partner hung up the phone.
Grace breathed a little sigh of relief, their expressions told they hadn't caught a case.
"All good," Steve said with a smile.
"I remember the year I caught what was called in as a robbery in progress on Christmas Eve in the afternoon," Danny shook his head and popped an olive in his mouth. "You were about three, Grace.
"A department store manager was in his office paying the sales staff. All of a sudden a crackhead runs in off Frelinghuysen Avenue and tells him to hand over the cash box. The manager hits the silent alarm and the freaking lunatic tries to fire to make him move faster. Meanwhile, my partner and I just got eyes on him and there's half a dozen sales people on the ground. So the guy pulls the trigger, nothing happens, and in a perfect display of you can't fix stupid … he looks down the barrel and fires again." Steve's look mirrored his own. "That time it worked. The hostages were fine and I got home in time for Nonna's Antipasto."
"Luckily this year the hoodlums seem to be quiet," Aunt Deb said with a wink as Steve grinned at her choice of words.
"Shhh, don't jinx it, hopefully they took the holiday off," Danny said with a grin.
"Here's to resting criminals," Deb raised the appetizer she'd been nibbling in a toast.
"This is most impressive, I must say," Ramon said as he looked over the dinner spread of seven fishes, antipasto, and lasagna.
"I don't know what to try first!" Sue agreed, rubbing her hands together.
"Mary and Aaron told us to expect a feast and they were right," Alyssa, Aaron's sister, added.
"Don't be shy," Nonna said, handing Alyssa's husband Paul a plate for himself and for their son Avery.
"Yeah, it looks like a lot, but there are nineteen of us here and one of us eats enough to make it twenty," Danny said with a pointed look at Steve.
Steve snorted as he helped fill DJ's plate. "Speak for yourself."
"Try this one," DJ said, pointing out a particular dish to Avery who was right behind him. "It's so good."
Avery grinned. "Okay. Joan said I should definitely try everything."
"Yeah," Joan said. "Nonna makes really good food. Just like Grandma Ang and Aunt Elizabeth, and Aunt Catherine and Uncle Steve, and Grandma and Abuelo, and Daddy …"
"I notice I'm conspicuously left off that list," Mary said. "You're not supposed to start acting like a teenager for a few more years."
"A few? Try five," Steve said.
"Yes, five years that are going to fly by," she retorted. "And after these three," she continued, nodding at Joan, DJ, and Avery, "guess who's turn it'll be?" She looked pointedly at Angie who was trying to convince Catherine to get her second helpings even though she hadn't eaten the first yet.
Steve groaned.
"We can't wait to try the Mexican food you're planning to make next week," Gabby said to Ramon.
"We're looking forward to it, too," Ramon said. "Usually we would do a big traditional meal on Christmas Eve as well, but we were happy to postpone it in honor of Nonna."
"I'm very touched," Nonna said. "And I'm hoping to learn some new recipes from you, too."
He grinned. "As long as you share the recipe for this lasagna."
"You've got yourself a deal," she said, smiling warmly.
It took quite a bit of delicate negotiating to get the children to settle down and have one final Christmas Eve snack but every parent in the room knew if they didn't get the process started it would be a long night of trying to get them into bed.
"Tonight was so fun," Avery told the others with a big smile as the kids took seats around the table with their hot chocolates and cookies. "I love opening some presents on Christmas Eve."
"That's a tradition Nonna shared. They do that in Italy and lots of Italian families do it, too," DJ explained.
"In Mexico, too!" Avery said excitedly. "Right, Abuelo?"
"That's right, nieto," Ramon said. "But usually at midnight after mass."
"It's pretty awesome you have some of the same games me and Joan have at home, too," Avery continued, turning back to DJ and Angie. "Can we maybe play the Disney Monopoly while we're here?"
"Yeah!" DJ grinned. "We love that one, right, Angie?" When she nodded excitedly, he went on, "We can play it and some of the grownups can play too." He laughed. "Daddy and Uncle Danny are so funny when they play."
"Uncle Danno says, 'Don't take all da hotels, Steven,' to Daddy,' " Angie giggled at her father and uncle's usual competitive antics. "Den if Daddy buys dem Uncle Danno goes like this." She demonstrated with her head in both hands.
"Haha that's right," her brother laughed. "But Mommy's the best player."
"Yeah, Mommy's the best at Monop'ly,"
"We gotta go to sleep early tonight so Santa can come," Joan said. "He has a magic key that only works for him when you don't have a chimney," She told Avery. "Aunt Cath told me that when we were here for Christmas when I was little."
"That's so awesome," her cousin said with a smile as he sipped his hot cocoa. "Mom and Dad told me to put in my letter we were gonna be in Hawaii and when I reminded Santa at the mall, he said he already knew."
"Santa knows every'fing," Angie said seriously, looking towards her mother. "Right, Mommy?"
Catherine turned from where she was refilling Cammie's water bowl. "That's right. He knows right where to leave everyone's presents."
After the children finished their snacks and everyone said their goodbyes, Mary, Aaron, Alyssa, and Paul took Joan and Avery back to the Airbnb and Steve and Catherine put DJ and Angie to bed so the kids could all get to sleep before Santa's arrival.
As Steve and Catherine came back downstairs, Grace checked the time and stood. "Are you ready, Nonna?" she asked and offered her arm to her great grandmother.
"Ready, bambina." She looped her arm through Grace's. "Gabby, darling, would you pass me my sweater?"
When she did, Nonna pecked her cheek. "We'll see you in the morning, I'm sure you and Daniel will be asleep when we get home."
Danny pointed towards Steve and Catherine. "Unlike these two, my days of putting together toys with bad instructions after midnight are complete." He grinned and walked over to kiss Grace, then Nonna on the cheek.
"And I thought you were staying to help," Steve teased, laughing when Danny held up both hands.
Grace turned to Ramon, Sue and Deb. "Ready?"
"We are," Sue said. "Thank you again for inviting us along."
"We're thrilled you're joining us for mass," Nonna said, patting her arm and then Ramon's.
"And on that note," Grace smiled, "we're off to Our Lady of Peace. We want to get there by 10:30 so we have good seats when the choir sings at 11:00. Linda and Grandma Josie are meeting us. You'll love the choir, Aunt Deb."
"Enjoy," Catherine said with a little finger wave. "See you tomorrow. Merry Christmas!"
THE END
Stay tuned for part 2 of the marathon tomorrow!
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