- was my 3 brothers and I, excitedly wide-eyed and anxious with anticipation. . .squirming and giggling as we placed the milk and cookies out to keep the fat-man well-fed as he went about his global deliveries. Naturally, as kids, it was our duty to battle against our parents – who insisted that we get to bed. Ultimately, our parents’ rationale won out. . .”The sooner you get to sleep, the sooner tomorrow gets here.” Can’t argue with that! ZIP – off to bed we would all go. . . .but FIRST!

– I loved closing out my family’s Christmas Eve by reading Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nick” (aka “T’was The Night Before Christmas”). Surely my brothers (all older then me – and much more experienced at the Christmas thing) would roll their eyes and let out heavy sighs when I announced that the time had come for me to do my reading, but my parents insisted that they dutifully participate.