“’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring,” except for me. I was desperately trying to get to sleep in time for Santa. I glared at my Minnie Mouse clock, watching as she relentlessly circled her arm, pointing her white glove at each second that ticked away until his inevitable arrival. I finally concluded that Minnie’s smile was just mocking my plight.

I was overcome with anxiety. Granted, at five years old I had grown into a little worrier, but this was an all or nothing battle tonight and I wasn’t about to lose based upon a technicality. I kept hearing: “He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake.” And for heaven’s sake, since he also knows if I’ve been bad or good, being BAD and AWAKE was a combination I wanted to avoid at all costs.

I counted sheep, reindeer, and the white polka dots on Minnie’s pink skirt and bow, but nothing worked! I never had this problem the last four times he visited. But tonight I shivered at the thought of looking up at a bearded and bespectacled giant, dressed in a red velvet suit, peering down at me to ensure that I was in a deep slumber before he got to work.

As Minnie kept up her unrelenting pace, I thought: If I can’t change my circumstances, maybe I could change the rules.

I summoned my dad. “Please tell Santa to leave my toys on the front porch. He doesn’t have to worry about coming in to see me.” I respectfully added, “Go ahead and offer him the cookies and milk, but just hand them to him while he’s on the porch.”

I thought it was a brilliant offer. Park in the driveway, deliver the toys, then be on your “merry” way. If you want the cookies, we’ll pack them in a to-go bag for you. It had “time-saver” written all over it! Since my dad didn’t come back with a counteroffer from the big guy, I presumed we had an agreement.

Shortly thereafter I learned the truth about Santa, but on that Christmas Eve, I honestly believed that St. Nick and I had struck a pretty good deal, one where we both benefitted.

Indeed, “Happy Christmas to all” and, with our new arrangement, “to all a good night.”