Rudolph's Pajamas

I blatantly stole my favorite holiday tradition from one of my favorite people in the whole world: my sister-in-law Nancy.  Nancy is very creative, and a great multi-tasker – valuable skills when you’re raising five kids on a tight budget.  She approached Christmas like a general strategizing a war.  Money was squirreled away all year long in a Christmas club.  Newspaper circulars were combed for bargains to be purchased and hidden, often months and months in advance of the holiday.  She baked and froze cookies, made pounds of the best homemade fudge ever, and somehow managed to decorate the inside and outside of her house, seemingly without breaking a sweat.  Don’t ask me how, but she also managed to throw a family party on Christmas Eve and whip up an unbelievable Christmas dinner, too.  I’m worn out just thinking about it.  And all of this without even a trace of Martha Stewart-esque smugness.  Seriously, she’s wonderful.

 

Which brings me to my favorite holiday tradition.  Every Christmas Eve, shortly before bedtime, as my nieces and nephews tore around the house, there would be a sudden thump or clatter of noise on the front porch.  There might even be the sound of sleigh bells jingling in the night.  The kids would tumble out the front door into the cold dark and there, in front of them, would be five sets of beautiful, brand-new Christmas pajamas.  Dropped there by Rudolph, as Santa passed overhead to make the first of his many deliveries, these were the pajamas destined to star in that year’s Christmas morning photos.  The kids, thrilled and awestruck, couldn’t wait to put them on.  Rudolph’s pajamas were proof of Santa, proof that Christmas was almost here at last.

 

I played helper a few times during college.  I’d park my noisy old VW bug a block or so away, and sneak up to the house on foot.  The pajamas would be tucked in a bag beneath some shrubs, along with a few carrots for the reindeer, and a string of bells.  I’d carefully and arrange the pjs on the porch, take a few big bites out of the carrots before strewing them about and then, grabbing up all the evidence, shake the bells like crazy and run for a hiding spot in a neighboring yard.

 

There I’d watch the scene unfold: the wonder on their faces, the delighted smiles of my older brother and his wife.  Then the door would close, and though I could still see them through the picture window, their shouts and giggles couldn’t be heard.   I vividly remember the last year I did Christmas pajamas for Nancy.   I knew I‘d be moving away soon, and stood in the freezing dark for a long time watching my brother’s house.  Seeing his family joyful and snug amid the twinkling lights and colorful chaos of Christmas, I got a lump in my throat.  I was happy for my brother - he’d made for himself the kind of family and home we’d never known.  And yet sad at the same time, sad in ways I couldn’t articulate then.  The scene in front of me was humble and unremarkable, and all the more precious for it.  And, like most precious things, terribly fragile. 

 

Now that I have children of my own, Rudolph comes to our house every Christmas Eve, right on schedule.  It’s as thrilling for Olivia and Caramia as it was for their now-grown cousins.  I’ve added a few touches of my own, like glitter sprinkled over the entire scene for an extra bit of dazzle.  Lacking a reliable helper nearby, I’ve had to improvise and just sort of pretend to “hear” something outside before the sending the girls to investigate.  But that doesn’t matter.  If I had a million years, I could never grow tired of the amazed expression on Caramia’s face, or of the way Olivia declares, “I knew it!  I just knew Rudolph would remember us!”  It’s funny, because like Nancy, I now do the tree and the decorations and the dinner and by golly, even the cookies – sometimes.  But those few minutes spent shivering on the front porch are what transform an otherwise typical winter evening into something more.  Nightgowns, a few carrots, a handful of glitter…who could have imagined that such simple things might possess such enormous Christmas magic?

Comments

[Sarah Lena]

So precious! When mine gets old enough, we'll have to adopt it. How else can you fool them into wearing ridiculously adorable matching pjs?

[Barbara]

Sheri- your ability to paint a picture with words is amazing. Christmas is always both happy and sad for me- it's a time to look back and remember. The memories we give our children can be wonderful gifts they'll remember all their lives - like your tradition. I hope you and your family have the BEST Christmas of your life. Enjoy a little of the happiness you give all of us!!!! Barbara

[Trudy H]

Sheri-

For as long as I can remember, my mom would always have new pajamas waiting on our beds at night on Christmas Eve. We were told they would provide a "beacon" for Santa so he would know where we were. My 8 year old even gets in on the excitement now and helps pick out his pjs along with mine and his fathers. Of all the craziness in our lives, this is one tradition that stays strong. Thanks for sharing!!

[Janis G]

My Mom had done Christmas jammies for my sister and me for as long as I can remember. It was the only present we were allowed to open on Christmas Eve and was always exciting and a very special memory. My mother and I now share the tradition. Each year I spend hours looking for the "perfect" jammie pants for my son and daughter-in-law, nieces, nephew and their spouses aged 16-33 and this year for my 11 month old great-niece. They are usually something bright and garish that they'd NEVER be caught dead in....but they ALWAYS love them and wear them to rags. This year, for the first time, none of them will be here with us for Christmas (sigh), so the boxes went out last week with instructions to take pictures that I will then photoshop into this year's memory.

Merry Christmas to you and yours and a very Happy New Year!

P.S. I've missed your blogs!

[Cristina]

I have always gotten special PJ's for my kids and now am doing so for my grandkids. I hope you have a blessed Christmas with your precious daughters and thank you for entertaining me on my way to school/work in the morning.

[Dana]

Hi Sheri! What a wonderful tradition! I remember growing up my step-father would get up on the roof and shake some jingle bells while stomping around. My sister and I were amazed and so excited, I remember the feelings like it was yesterday! Thank you for sharing your tradition, I have a 2 1/2 year old son and I am excited to start our own Christmas traditions. Happy Holidays!

[Laura]

What a great tradition!

[Lesley]

Sheri,
I was so excitied to hear you talk about the Elf on the Shelf book the other morning. Our children recieve a pair of pj's on Christmas Eve from our Elf as a gift thanking them for being so good and saying good bye till next year. what fun it has been to see the excitment knowing that when we return from our Christmas Eve chinese dinner there will be a little somethng under the tree for them. Now that I my two older children are nonbelievers they have enyoyed helping the elf find a new spot to perch from his return from the north pole. thank you for letting other people know of the Elf on the Shelf it is a wonderful idea when you have little ones and that I am not the only person that works so hard to keep the Christmas magic as long as we can!!

[Beth]

HI Sheri,
What a great tradition. I never heard of this until a few years ago when our new neighbors did it for their daughter. I love the idea but as my kids are now 17 and 12 I will just have to have pjs fo them to open on Christmas Eve next year. Oh we love the Elf on the Shelf as well and my teenager would help to hide him. I will miss this when my 12 year old stops believing. I have a feeling that this was his last year of magic. I will miss it next year. Enjoy the girls over thier break and I look forward to the new shows next week.
Beth

[Patti]

Oh Sheri you've inspired me... i'm going to start this for my baby girl next year. She'll be five and this year at four she just is realizing about Christmas. I love it!

[Cindy]

I have never heard of this tradition until now. I have a 2 1/2 yr old and a 5 yr old and I think they will find this absolutely delightful. Thank you for our new Christmas tradition!

[Greg in Texas]

OMG! I can't believe I'm still crying, it started in the middle of the second paragraph and now I'm laughing about it. As a single father who complains about what we don't have it's stories and most of all people like these that encourage me to keep reaching to be a better parent. Thanks for sharing.

Your listener,
Greg

[Greg in Texas]

OMG! I can't believe I'm still crying, it started in the middle of the second paragraph and now I'm laughing about it. As a single father who complains about what we don't have it's stories and most of all people like these that encourage me to keep reaching to be a better parent. Thanks for sharing.

Your listener,
Greg

[Sherri]

I read about this in one of your books, and have been doing it for the past three years with my daughter, who just turned 5. This year we told her how her grandfather pretended to be Rudolph one year (the past two years we've just let her open the pajamas Christmas Eve without pretending to hear Rudolph since there was too much else going on at the time) and she now thinks HE's the one who got her the pajamas! I keep telling her I picked them out and he just pretended, but she isn't having it. Anyway, thanks for the idea!

[Jennifer]

Sherri - I realize that you think you are "just an average person" but you are truly amazing. You give me hope and desire to believe and go on even when I don't want to. Thank you. You never know when or how you will touch someone's heart so don't ever stop being YOU.

[Squire]

I am officially stealing that idea this year!