Quite a while back, when my kids were just 9 and 13 years old, it was Christmastime and we were decorating the house with lights outside. It was always in the back of our minds that some day ours would be a "destination" house.... one that folks would make sure they drove by every year to see the dazzling display. Something was missing though. We never had any figures or a manger scene, only lights. We didn't have much money- so when I saw a cute little wooden snow man on a stick at a hardware store- I bought him and we proudly stuck him in the planter on the porch. It was as if he were a seed, and from him many other decorations would come.
A few days later, it was pouring down rain, and we sat snugly in our warm house by the beautiful Christmas tree. The doorbell rang; but when I opened the door, no one was there. I looked down the sidewalk each direction, and when I turned to go back in, I noticed a soggy piece of paper with graffiti-type scrawling in indelible ink: "YO,WE GOT YER SNOWMAN. TALK TO ANYONE AND WE MELT HIM. DA PUNX".
Our little wooden snowman was indeed missing! I picked up the dripping note, looked across the street and up and down for the hooligan who was playing this trick on us, but nothing. Then I got a funny feeling that even if I couldn't see him, I was probably being watched, so I went inside to tell the kids, locking the front door behind me.
We went over together the usual suspects, thinking after all it was pretty funny. Whoever it was wanted us to figure it out, and then they'd give our beloved ornament back to us. Was it Michael across the street, or the nextdoor neighbor kids, or another friend of ours with a quirky sense of humor? I called around and the kids asked their friends and everyone sounded so innocent. After all the interrogation, no one confessed and we put the note away with the Christmas decorations. Every year we bring it out and recount the story as we decorate the tree. It never fails to get a laugh.
Three or four years later, my daughter went to a concert in San Francisco; and she got a ride home with one of the band members by his mom. As they drove up to our house, the guy said, "You live in THIS house?.... I stole a snowman from in front of it a few years ago!" Turns out that a band named, I think, Devil Doll, used to live across the street from us and he hung out there. I'm not sure what prompted him to do the deed.
My daughter could hardly believe it! She told him he should come in to tell her mom, but he didn't want to. Instead, he accepted an invitation to a neighborhood Christmas party we were giving the next week.
During the party I was told that our thief had arrived; but by the time I got to the door to greet him, he had chickened out and left, evidently scared to meet me. I was disappointed. I guess he didn't realize what a hoot we got out of his crime every year. The Phantom did give us a new ending to the story though. He left behind a new wooden snowman that hangs on our mailbox every year.
A few days later, it was pouring down rain, and we sat snugly in our warm house by the beautiful Christmas tree. The doorbell rang; but when I opened the door, no one was there. I looked down the sidewalk each direction, and when I turned to go back in, I noticed a soggy piece of paper with graffiti-type scrawling in indelible ink: "YO,WE GOT YER SNOWMAN. TALK TO ANYONE AND WE MELT HIM. DA PUNX".
Our little wooden snowman was indeed missing! I picked up the dripping note, looked across the street and up and down for the hooligan who was playing this trick on us, but nothing. Then I got a funny feeling that even if I couldn't see him, I was probably being watched, so I went inside to tell the kids, locking the front door behind me.
We went over together the usual suspects, thinking after all it was pretty funny. Whoever it was wanted us to figure it out, and then they'd give our beloved ornament back to us. Was it Michael across the street, or the nextdoor neighbor kids, or another friend of ours with a quirky sense of humor? I called around and the kids asked their friends and everyone sounded so innocent. After all the interrogation, no one confessed and we put the note away with the Christmas decorations. Every year we bring it out and recount the story as we decorate the tree. It never fails to get a laugh.
Three or four years later, my daughter went to a concert in San Francisco; and she got a ride home with one of the band members by his mom. As they drove up to our house, the guy said, "You live in THIS house?.... I stole a snowman from in front of it a few years ago!" Turns out that a band named, I think, Devil Doll, used to live across the street from us and he hung out there. I'm not sure what prompted him to do the deed.
My daughter could hardly believe it! She told him he should come in to tell her mom, but he didn't want to. Instead, he accepted an invitation to a neighborhood Christmas party we were giving the next week.
During the party I was told that our thief had arrived; but by the time I got to the door to greet him, he had chickened out and left, evidently scared to meet me. I was disappointed. I guess he didn't realize what a hoot we got out of his crime every year. The Phantom did give us a new ending to the story though. He left behind a new wooden snowman that hangs on our mailbox every year.
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