Small Wonders: Holiday cheer to the letter
Like an unwanted holiday fruitcake, with funky bits, green cherries and mystery fruit, I offer you this year’s Caneday Family Christmas Letter (with a little help from my daughters):
Dashing through the glow,
Of a year gone past with glee,
O’er our lives we go,
We’re the Caneday family.
Good friends came cocktail-ing,
Making spirits bright,
Oh what fun we had this spring,
In San Diego a fortnight.
Oh! Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
We love to get our way,
Oh what fun we had with friends,
All ‘round our block each da-ay!!
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
She got more than me,
Oh, the spats we get into,
“Not fair!” our reverie-y!
To the mountains we did go,
Extended fam’ ‘longside,
Vacation house, you know,
To have our patience tried.
Tho’ times were lean and lank,
Recession still the lot,
Dad’s not bestseller rank,
Though his column fills a slot.
Oh! Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
To gym class we go,
Girl Scouts are fun, so says but one,
I think I stubbed my toe-o!
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
Swim lessons were awesome,
Summer camp was grand, so tall we stand,
I want guitar to stru-um!
‘Tis Mom who has no fear,
She runs so fast and well,
Two marathons this year,
Boy, we think she’s swell.
Before last winter was gone,
Brought snow back in Dad’s sleigh,
Kids laughed as our front lawn,
Was a bobsled run all day. Hey!
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
Can we watch TV?
Off the couch, they tell us go,
Burn off some energy-y!
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
Can we go shopping?
Not for food or stuff for you,
But to get us more bli-ing?
The season’s looking bright,
In Christmas Show we sung,
We girls have no stage fright,
Our lives have just begun.
We lost goldfish one day,
A tragedy indeed,
The toilet if Dad’s way,
But no, we begged and plead. Hey!
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
Can we get a dog?
Or just a cat, we’re fine with that?
My dad’s a bump on a lo-og!”
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
Our grades are high enough,
In school we both have won the prize,
Of Student of the Mo-onth.
Ten years have they been wed,
Tho’ Dad he cannot sing,
He’s such a sleepy head,
Except when they saw Sting.
We turned 7 and 9,
Sometimes we point and blame,
Our chores we do not mind,
We loved our first Dodger game.
Oh! Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
Look at this cartwheel,
Dad wrote a book, he likes Mom’s look,
She’s one great nurse for rea-l!
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
Our cousin we did see,
San Fran was great, we stayed up late,
We think it’s all for free-ee!
Dad rides his bike a lot,
And Mom helps out in class,
We ran the Turkey Trot,
How ‘bout the price of gas?
Next year, we cannot wait,
To see what it will bring,
We’re sure it will be great,
We won’t go carol-ing! Hey!
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
There’s not much else to say,
We’re stretching now, which rhymes with cow,
Dad’s hair is turning gra-ay!
Thing 1 yells, Thing 2 yells,
Merry Christmas to you!
It’s been fun, you tripped — I won!
And Happy New Year too!!!!
From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a bright new year.
The Caneday Family
PATRICK CANEDAY is author of the upcoming book “Crooked Little Birdhouse.” Check it out at https://www.patrickcaneday.com. He can be reached at patrickcaneday@gmail.com.