Ma'ma Is There A Santa

Ma'ma is there a Santa?

It was a cold Christmas Eve that year, and all the packages were wrapped. A daunting task, as you can imagine, with a three year old and a four year old running around the house. In our house the tradition was that Santa brought unwrapped presents. Presents that we gave family, friends and each other were wrapped. Santa made life easier for Christmas Eve that night. There seemed to be mounds of wrapped gifts under the tree this year. Now I just needed to rearrange room for Santa's Visit. You know Santa brings some awful big stuff. That evening I had one more look alike cabbage patch doll to finish sewing for my four-year-old son. It was a good year for doll making. The original cabbage dolls were a premium and everyone just fell in love with my look-a-like creations.
Specialty dolls made with their own personality. I needed to make one for Aaron as he had put a request in for his boy doll. Yes, a firm believer of dolls for boys, and Ken Doll just wasn't going to make the list that year.

Finally, the kids finished their baths and I could sit down and finish sewing this boy doll up. The doll wasn't planned to be part of this year's Christmas celebrations as I had been finishing up all kinds of doll orders. However, I figured tonight would be as good as night as any to have his done for the holidays. Picked up all my doll sewing stuff and I went and sat on this big overstuffed couch with a Christmas blanket draped along it's back for this year's decorations. You could feel a sense of Christmas with decorations all over the place in our small townhouse living room. The Christmas tree was big this year and had its own special corner of the living room. Aaron came over and sat down beside me and said "Ma'ma is that my boy doll you said you would make for me? " Said "Yes it is and hopefully we can finish sewing him up tonight and then his birthday will be Christmas Eve, December 24." Aaron had a big smile with that response. I said "Aaron, if Santa were to come to visit tonight what would you like for him to bring to you?" He said "I want him to dress my boy doll, " I said "you do" he said "yeah . . . " and "what would you like him to be dressed in?" I asked. "He said "uh football" "What does that mean? I asked "A football outfit Ma'ma." Oh that's a good idea. Gosh we can't have a naked baby doll running around here now can we. He laughed and said "NO." "Well, I just need to sew his toes and his fingers. He also needs a belly button then he will be all done." I said and "Aaron. You want him to have an "an inny or outty belly button?" . . . "Ma'ma I want him to have an "inny." Aaron lifts up his jammy T-shirt and says "like mine" with a big smile on his face looking down at his own little "inny belly button." I think I can do that. I told him. Then he will have something that looks just like you. He laughed again. I said "when I am finish you think it will be a good idea if we put him under the tree and maybe Santa might see him and dress him with that football outfit you wanted" Aaron said "yeah." His eyes beamed of excitement.

It was about 10:00 a.m. and I let Aaron Stay up late, not a normal occurrence, but it was a very special night. His boy doll was going to be finished and he wanted to make sure I did in fact finish sewing him up tonight. Finally the last stitch on the doll's inny belly button was done. I turned to Aaron' and said "here you go. What do you think? " He grabbed it and looked at it and said "I like him Ma'ma" but he is naked! I said "Aaron I know. But you know what . . . I think we should put him under the tree, in the very front so when Santa comes he can't miss him and just maybe he will bring him clothes and dress him for you" . . . So Aaron took hold of the doll walked over to the tree with all the wrapped presents, shoved some out of the way in the front of the tree, and sets the doll down right in front. He stands up and turns to look at me. With a smile on his face and said. "Ma'ma" Santa will see him now! I answered back "Yep, he is right in front and he can't be missed."

"Aaron it's getting late and I think you should go to bed now. Your sister is already asleep. And you know Santa won't come unless everyone is asleep" I said. So off he went, no fuss no fighting that night . . . What a long day and a relief to have finished this boy doll, I thought to myself. Now, to finish putting everything way and make room for the Santa visit then my day is done.

No sooner did I close my eyes I could hear stirring from the kids' room. I peaked over to the clock on the side of the bed and sure enough it was six a.m.. The night went to fast and the morning came to early. Christmas morning was already here. I heard Aaron get out of bed and walk over to the top of the stairs as he passed the bedroom door. In our townhouse at the top of the stairs, if you walk down about four steps, you can see the entire living room. A relatively small place, with the big Christmas tree sitting over at the opposite side of the room. I heard him stop. At first I couldn't figure out why he hesitated. But he had stepped down only the first four steps and peaked through the opening to see the Christmas tree and everything Santa brought. He got awfully quiet, then all of a sudden he came running up the few steps and into my bedroom.
He came over the bed to wake me, I pretended to have my eyes closed when he came in. He shook me and said "Ma'ma . . . Ma'ma . . . Santa came! Santa came to our house last night! I said "he did. He said yeah and "Ma'ma' he dressed my boy doll in football. I said. "Really, he really put clothes on that naked boy doll" He said ‘yeah." I said "well walk downstairs and get him and bring him back up so I can see him. "

Aaron took off as fast as his little feet could carry him in his red once piece zip up jammies down the stairs. I had to yell at him don't run down those stairs. The slippery bottoms of those one piece jammies and carpet steps makes a lethal combination. He came back in my bedroom, with his boy cabbage patch in hand. It was all dressed up in a green and white football outfit with a white helmet too. Aaron said "see Ma'ma there is a Santa, he dressed my naked baby . . . I said. "Wow, look at that, all dressed up for Christmas and in football too" . . . Holding him tightly with a big smile on his face, he said "yeah" with such heartfelt innocence to his tone."

I think that Christmas really made a believer of Santa for that little four-year-old. With all the toys, and with everything that Santa brought, nothing stood out more than that boy doll of his. His Lil buddy was dressed on the doll's birthday and Santa came. That's all that mattered that day.
A true story. ;o)