Richmond Parents Monthly | Family Magazine -Frumpy Zone

the frumpy zone by colleen r. lee

A Christmas Dream

’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
Not a creature was sleeping, not even my spouse,
The laundry lay scattered through the house without care
In hopes that one day it would just disappear.

Our daughter was restless and refused her own bed,
While the screams of our newborn filled us with dread.
The place was a mess and in need of a vacuum.
Dust bunny warrens took over each room.

My husband in boxers and I in my sweats
Kept running in circles—getting nowhere just yet,
When down in the laundry room there arose such a clatter
We raced to the basement to see what was the matter.

We opened the door with much trepidation
And stood staring in awe and great admiration.
The moon through the window cast a silvery glow.
Our mess was sparkling like fresh-fallen snow.

When what to our sleep-deprived eyes should appear
But Mrs. Claus folding laundry with holiday cheer!
She had a specialized team of ‘Housecleaning Elves’
And they ran through the house dusting our shelves.

“Close your mouths, my dear children, you’ve nothing to fear.
You’re the lucky family on my list this year.”
A red flannel tunic was her cozy Christmas suit,
With matching green leggings and white thigh-high boots.

This Claus was quite modern—no cookies for her.
She did yoga to keep herself trim and slender.
Long silver hair tied with a green bow—
Her dewy complexion had a healthy red glow.

Soon she was finished with the arduous job
And called out to her elves—starting with Bob.
“On Bobby, and Nina, Trixie and Fred,
Grab your supplies and let’s head home to bed.”

Our house looked so clean, it seemed to be glowing.
Mrs. Claus laughed and gave a wink that was knowing.
She closed up her sack and smiled as she said,
“Your children are sleeping, so go straight to bed.”

Her form started to shimmer and twinkle, then fade—
We didn’t know whether to laugh or be very afraid.
Slowly we climbed up the stairs to our beds.
For the first time in weeks we rested our heads.

Snuggling under the covers, we fell straight to sleep
And snoozed through the night, our kids not making a peep.
We awoke the next morning refreshed and well rested
And knew that this Christmas couldn’t be bested.

Author’s Note: I wrote this when my son was six weeks old and our holiday season was utter chaos.

This poem is dedicated to new moms everywhere who are in a state of shock because they didn’t have the energy to clean, bake cookies, wrap presents and do all the things they wanted to do this holiday season. Don’t worry. The best gift you can give yourself this year is the gift of understanding.

Have a wonderful holiday season and “Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!”

Richmond-area writer and teacher Colleen R. Lee lives with her husband and three kids in the Frumpy Zone. Visit her at www.thefrumpyzone.blogspot.com

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