Christmas Magic

I started putting up the Christmas stuff last weekend, finished this weekend. The outside lights were hung, but I couldn’t find the electrical cords I normally use, so off to the store. I went to Lowe’s (which I think is cleaner, brighter and friendlier than Home Depot) and picked up the necessities. While doing this I found a neat little toy. It’s a deal that you plug in between your lights and the outlet and it has a remote, so you can turn the lights on and off from inside the house. I looked at it and thought of all the times I walked outside in my pj’s in the freezing cold to turnoff the damn lights. Hmmm, 9 bucks, SOLD.

So, I get home and finish the outside lights, everything looks good. At halftime of the Cowboy game, we all pile in the car to run some errands. Grocery store, return videos, buy basketball shoes. As we drive home down our street it is dusk. I stop in front of the house and tell Reed to come up to the front seat. I tell him that we have magic Christmas lights this year and say “Abra Cadabra” as I push the button on my new little toy. The lights miraculously illuminate. Reed is astounded! He is smiling and looking on in disbelief. I recite the magic words again and the lights are extinguished. He looks at me like I am Merlin himself. I suggest that perhaps he can conjure up the magic too. He looks at the house, swings his arms around and says, “Agra Badagra” and the lights blaze. He is smiling and laughing in disbelief. And of course, he must test his magical powers, so he does it again and off they go. On. Off. On. Off. On. Not off. What happened? I told Reed that his magic must have worn out and that he would have to try again tomorrow. This seemed to satisfy him. I was very pleased with myself for this little Christmas magic.

This morning Kim left for school (in the dark, still) with Reed and she called me about 2 minutes after she was out the door. (I was sure she had forgotten something and I would have to make a detour by her school.) She was laughing and told me that as they were driving down the street Reed looked at the houses that still had their lights on, swung his arm and said, “Agra Badagra”.