Charlie and Ella were seated at the dining room table waiting for their father to finish cooking the Christmas turkey. A Christmas dinner commercial was playing on the TV, but the kids were too busy watching Scott put out the flames with his fire extinguisher. Somehow, the turkey was on fire while it cooked in the oven. "That," he explained. "Is exactly why you want a high-quality fire extinguisher right in the kitchen." "Those flames were really big, Dad," Charlie added. Ella nodded, wide-eyed. "They sure were, Charlie!" "Yeah, turkey's funny that way, kids." Suddenly, the turkey began to burst into flames again. "Dad!" Charlie cried, pointing at the turkey. Ella screamed. Scott grabbed the extinguisher and put the fire out. Not once, not twice, but three times. It was then decided that the Calvin clan would be going out to dinner. Scott told the kids to get their coats on and get in the car. It wasn't a long drive to town. After about 5 minutes, Scott stopped at an Italian restaurant. "You like osso bucco, kids?"

"What's that, Daddy?" asked Ella.

"Never mind, sweetie. They're closed." Scott kept on driving.

"You know, Dad," Charlie added. "Neil is a really good cook."

"Yeah, and you should see him walk on water."

"You don't like him very much, do you, Daddy?" Ella asked her father.

"Ella, I was joking. I'm sorry. I was kiddin' around. I like him a lo...Yeah, sure, I like him. You know, there—there's just something about him that makes me want to..."

"Lash out irrationally?"

"Ella Bella, where did you hear that?" Scott asked.

"I heard it from Charlie," Ella answered, pointing at her brother. "He heard that from Neil." Scott looked at his son.

"We have been learning a lot from him," Charlie added. "He listens to us."

"Yeah, and then he charges you for it," Scott replied sarcastically. Charlie sighed. "Daddy!" Ella groaned. "You're silly."

Scott spotted Denny's and turned into the parking lot. "All right. Denny's. It's always open."

"Yes!" Ella cheered to herself as she unbuckled her seat belt and got out. Denny's is Ella's favorite restaurant. "Come on, Charlie!"

"I don't wanna eat here," said her brother frowning.

"What are you talkin' about, Sport?" said Scott. "Everybody likes Denny's! So does your sister. It's an American institution."

Scott, Charlie, and Ella entered the restaurant where they were greeted by the chatter of Japanese businessmen. The waitress, Judy, who just delivered an order to one of the men, came up to them and asked, "Are you with Hatsutashi?"

"No!" answered Scott.

"Our dad burnt the turkey," Charlie added. Judy motioned the three to follow her to their table.

"Thank you very much, ma'am," said Ella after she and her father and brother were seated. The waitress smiled at the little girl.

"Coffee for you, sir?" Judy asked Scott.

"No, thank you...Judy," Scott replied with a chuckle. "What do you say we start out with cold glasses of the delicious seasonal favorite, eggnog?"

"I don't like eggnog," quipped Charlie.

"May I have some, Daddy?" Ella asked her father, who smiled. "Please? I never tried it before."

"Sorry, guys, we're out," Judy told the trio.

"Coffee. Decaf."

"I'll have chocolate milk, please," Charlie requested.

"We're out," said Judy.

"Plain milk's fine."

"What would you like, sweetheart?" Judy asked Ella.

"May I have hot chocolate, please?"

"We're all out, dear."

"Oh," said Ella, "Then, I'll have the same as my big brother, please."

"What a cutie!" Judy whispered to Scott. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

"At least, we know they got hot apple pie!" Scott mumbled to his son and daughter.

"We did," Judy called over her shoulder.

Scott and his children stared at each other for a moment until Scott spoke up. "This is nice."

Ella nodded and said, "It sure is, Daddy."

When the trio returned home, the kids raced up the stairs to get ready for bed. Charlie grabbed his pajamas from the overnight bag and went into the bathroom to take a bath, change into his pajamas, and brush his teeth while Ella and Scott went to the bookshelf to pick out a bedtime story. Since tonight was Christmas Eve, Ella thought that Scott could read "The Night Before Christmas." Scott thought that while the two were alone, he should talk to Ella about what happened at school.

"Hey, Princess," Scott said. "What do you say we talk about what happened at school while we get the cookies and milk ready for Santa?"

"Okay, Daddy." She followed her father into the kitchen. Scott got out a plate and piled chocolate chip cookies on it while Ella poured milk into a glass without spilling a drop. "So, your mom told me that Charlie got a bloody nose at school. Want to tell me what happened?"

Ella nodded. She told her father that she was out on the playground with her friend, Sarah. The girls were talking about their Christmas plans and what they think they will get from Santa. Sarah told Ella that she asked Santa for a Raggedy Ann doll. When Sarah asked Ella what she asked Santa for, a fifth-grade kid came over to them and starting teasing the girls. He told the girls that Santa was not real, but Ella bravely told the bully that he is. "How do you know if Santa is real?" the bully asked. "Because he is!" Ella retorted. "He knows what I want for Christmas." The bully teased Ella even more and pushed her into the snow, making her cry. "And then, Charlie came over and told him to leave me and Sarah alone. He tried to get me up, but the bully kept pushing me."

"What happened then, Princess?" Scott asked his daughter. Ella told him that Charlie told the bully that he was going to report him to her teacher and the principal. The bully retaliated by punching Charlie in the nose and it started bleeding. Ella told Sarah to go get their teacher to tell her what happened while she took Charlie to the nurse.

"So, Charlie and I told our school nurse, my teacher, and our principal what happened. The principal called Mommy before school got out for our half-day."

"Do you know what happened to the bully?" Scott asked. Ella was about to answer until Charlie called to tell him that he was ready for bed. "Come on, Princess. You can tell me on the way up." So, Ella finished her story by telling Scott that she doesn't know what happened to the bully until Sarah called her at Laura's after she got home. She told Ella that the bully was going to have detention after they come back.

"I'm very proud of you for telling me and your mom what happened at school, Ella Bella," Scott told her. Ella smiled and hugged her father as they went into Charlie's room so Scott could read "The Night Before Christmas" to them.

"And Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap," Scott read. "Had just settled down for a long winter's nap. When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.." Charlie and Ella were sound asleep or so Scott thought before he finished the story so he rushed through it. After he kissed them goodnight, Charlie asked, "What's that?"

"What's what, son?" replied Scott.

"A Rose Suchak ladder?" added Ella.

"It's not a ladder. I said, "arose such a clatter." It means, eh, "came a big noise."

"What?" Charlie and Ella asked at the same time.

Scott turned on the light and began to explain. "Kids, "arose" is a word that means "it came," and "clatter" is a big noise. Now, please, go to sleep. Shut your eyes."

"How do reindeer fly?" Charlie asked. "They don't have any wings."

"Fairy dust?"

"That's silly, Daddy," Ella replied. "Only Peter Pan uses pixie dust to fly."

"Horns."

"Antlers," the kids corrected.

"Whatever. Their, uh, antlers give them-," Scott tried to explain. "You know, ther- ther- there's a slipstream effect- The air go-T-They move fa- They're weightless."

"But if Santa's so fat, how did he get down the chimneys?" Charlie asked.

"He sucks it in like Grandpa."

"But what about people who don't have fireplaces?" Ella asked next. "How does he get into their house?"

"Kids," Scott replied. "Sometimes believing in something means you-means you just believe in it. Santa uses reindeer to fly because that's how he has to get around."

"But you do believe in Santa, right, Daddy?" Ella asked.

"Of course I believe in Santa, Ella Bella. Now, please, go to sleep, you two." Scott turned off the light and was about to leave the room when Charlie called for him.

"Dad?"

"What is it, Charlie?" Scott replied.

"Maybe you better leave some cookies and milk out, just in case, okay?"

"Ella and I already took care of it. Good night, kids."