I posted this story, for the first time, seven years ago. Over the years I have been encouraged to republish it many times and thought this Christmas would be a good time for a wonderful Christmas story. This is a story of a small group of craftsmen who created a magical Christmas for two little girls, who happened to be my daughters. Enjoy, and MERRY CHRISTMAS.
I know not everyone celebrates Christmas and that many parents don’t believe it is appropriate to have their children believe in Santa Clause. I respect all those who don’t celebrate Christmas as well as those parents who don’t bring Santa into their Christmas celebration. This diary is for those who do embrace the spirit of Santa Clause. I’d like you to share the most special Santa event that happened to you as a child or how you as a parent were able to create some Christmas Magic. Here is my story.
Twenty-six year ago my two daughters were seven and four. Their friends had a playhouse, that was a good size, and had been well built like an actual small house. My girls wanted a similar playhouse for Christmas. I was friends with the parents and spoke to them about who had built the house and how much it had cost. The builder was a local cabinet shop in our town. I called and made arrangements to visit the shop and its owner in October.
The owner was a real craftsman, with a shop of about a half dozen cabinetmakers and carpenters. Their primary work was building custom furniture, cabinets and closets. The owner had the plans for the playhouse of the girls’ friends; we reviewed them and made a few changes. He had plenty of time to make the little house for Christmas. He planned to make the house in his shop in seven pieces, the floor, each wall, and two sections for the roof. He thought that it would only take two or three hours to actually assemble the house in the back yard.
Every few weeks I would stop by the shop and see how the house was taking shape. As we reached the beginning of December the house was nearly finished. I asked the owner when it would be convenient for the team to bring the seven pieces to the backyard and actually put it together. He asked me when would I like it delivered and assembled. I said that it was too much to ask but it would be amazing if it could be assembled the morning of Christmas Eve. He asked if he could talk to the guys in the shop and let me know. I thanked him and left. He called me a few days later and said the team thought it would be really fun to play Santa and bring the playhouse and assemble it on Christmas Eve. I told him that I would do my best to see that the girls didn’t see the house until Christmas morning.
My mother and sister had come to be with us for the Holidays. The girls were on Christmas vacation and my Mom and sister had the girls making Christmas decorations out of green and red poster paper. We started taping their artwork on all the windows that faced the backyard until every window with a rear facing view had paper over the windows that was over the girls’ heads. On the morning of Christmas Eve Auntie took the girls out for some last minute Christmas shopping.
Every craftsman in the shop had worked on the playhouse and they all wanted to be part of assembling it. On the morning of Christmas Eve they all arrived at our home with the seven big pieces, assembled the playhouse in a few hours, and went home to their families at about noon. The owner said that everyone loved working on the playhouse project and that it has instilled the spirit of Santa in the shop.
The kids came back from shopping and my wife and Grandma took over. They baked cookies and wrapped presents together and before long it was dark, we had diner, the girls set out some cookies for Santa and went off to bed.
Early Christmas morning the girls woke us all up and went bounding into the living room in that wonderful joy of Christmas only a child can possess. They found an explosion of presents under the tree and a note by the fireplace. The note, from Santa, said that there was a surprise in the backyard. Off they raced down the stairs to the back yard, burst through the door and saw the house. The playhouse is a very solid 8ft. by 6ft. structure with an 8 ft. high roof with an adult sized Dutch door. They stopped, totally stunned, and for a minute or two just starred at the house in complete disbelief and silence. The day before, and to their recollection the night before, no house was in the backyard. After the initial shock they went out and looked in the house and were ecstatic.
The rest of Christmas Day was devoted to trying to solve the mystery. Was the house dropped in with a crane or helicopter? Surely ten thumbs dad had no role in the house magically appearing. How could a house that big just appear in the backyard? It was a magical Santa moment for my wife, my Mother, my sister, our girls and me. All the credit goes to the loving craftsman who built this special little house and on Christmas Eve delivered and assembled it. They took great joy in being part of a magical moment for two little girls.
As the girls got older they were still stumped by how the house got in the backyard on Christmas Eve. I told them I would tell them the story when they had children. When my oldest had her first child (no children yet for the youngest) I asked her if she wanted to know and she declined. She wants to keep that memory magical. The little playhouse has had a long second life as a garden house. It is still standing, and in good shape. It has had a new roof and a new floor, but the rest of it is original. All my gardening supplies are inside. I see it every day and it never fails to give me a smile for the Christmas magic it created.