A Christmas Without Magical Reindeer Food Just Isn't As Magical As It Could Be!

My daughter Sally has always been fascinated with Santa’s reindeer. She writes a letter to Rudolph every year. I think she is more excited about her letters from Rudolph than she is about the ones from Santa. When the kids pick out their ornaments each year she has always picked a reindeer. Without a doubt Rudolph is her most favorite Christmas show - she watches it over and over.
One year she wanted us to buy her a reindeer. I told her that they only liked to live in places that stay real cold – places like the North Pole. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. She decided that if I wouldn’t listen than she would just have to ask Santa. She checked the mailbox everyday for her letter from Santa. She was disappointed when Santa wrote that it would make his reindeer sad for one of them to move away. He asked her if she would mind leaving out some of his magical reindeer food. She takes the job very seriously she even convinced me to buy special bowls for their food and water.
We spend Christmas Eve at my mom’s house. Sally is always in a rush to get home to put out the food for the reindeer. On the way home we drive and look at all the houses lit up with bright colors. Sally stares up into the sky hoping to see the silhouette of nine reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. At home the kids all get to open their new pajamas and house shoes. After the cookies and milk have been left out for Santa everyone but me and Sally go to bed. She fills one bowl with water and the other with reindeer food.
We take the food out into the middle of the yard. She explained that the food needed to be there so that there would be room for all the reindeer. Before we go in she gazes up to the sky one last time trying to see the red glow of Rudolph’s nose. When I tuck her into bed she tells me she is going to be listening for the sound of hoofs on the roof.
Christmas morning after we open presents and have breakfast Sally and I sneak out back to see if the reindeer ate their food. Sally proudly collects the empty bowls. On the ground Sally always finds a gift from Santa. On the gift there is a short note thanking her for putting out the food and water for his reindeer and it says that he hopes she will be his helper again next year. Feeding the reindeer is without a doubt Sally’s favorite part of Christmas.