He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

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Rather than panic, Sergio thought about all the Christmas stories he had read, and decided they couldn’t go wrong by following the brightest star. After all, it worked for the wise men when they were trying to find Jesus, didn’t it? He scanned the sky. And there … before them … was the brightest star he had ever seen. It was beautiful — the most glorious star in the heavens.

He turned toward the star and on they flew. He knew he had to make it home before Christmas Eve, or Luna would be upset. The light from the star lit the hills and valleys below, and Sergio wanted to be able to share its beauty with Luna when they arrived home, so he landed, so they could take a selfie with the star in the background.

The star up above was a beautiful sight,
Sergio prayed for its guidance with all of his might.
He couldn’t thank her enough for letting him roam,
But now was the time he had to be home.

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 23 appeared first on Be the Cat.

The animals in the surrounding woods came to the edge, drawn by the lights on the tree. The evergreen — the pagans believed it a symbol of immortality and something to ward off evil. And for Christians it became a symbol of life. The lights were to ward off darkness and show us the way — a reminder of Jesus. In the midst of the winter hush, Ella raised her voice and sang the first verse of Silent Night, her pure notes dancing on the air. When she finished the verse, Sergio, Finn, and Sandy joined in on the second. Soon Bobo, Tizzy, Rin, and Jagger lent their voices. When they finished the third and final verse, the last note still vibrating the air, every heart beat with the spirit of Christmas.

On the way home, the critters did see,
A perfect place for a Christmas tree.
The lights how they twinkled to show them the way,
And the crew felt the full meaning of Christmas Day.

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 22 appeared first on Be the Cat.

Luna has been worried sick about Sergio and at one point had him kidnapped by pirates and forced to walk the plank. My attempts to tell her that as far as I knew, no pirates sailed past the North Pole because it was a land mass … and covered with snow. She then insisted it was the snow pirates that were after him and she feared she’d never see him again. Imagine her relief when we received an email with this picture telling us they had made some deliveries, had a nice chat with Santa, who had given them each a gift for being such good helpers, and were headed home. And Sergio added a PS to the end. Don’t worry, Luna. Santa said you did a good job waiting, so he gave me a present for you, too.

When the critters returned Santa praised their good job,
And he sat down beside them, ’cause Santa is no snob.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 21 appeared first on Be the Cat.

Huffing and puffing after making the big snowballs, Sergio lifted his nose in the air to catch the snowflakes as they fell on his tongue. He stilled when he heard a mewing noise coming from the brush. Following the sound, he discovered a baby Sand Cat, who had become caught in the brush. He soothed her and released her hind leg from the brambles.

Across the opening twigs snapped and scratching noises were heard. Bobo waddled over and peered into the bushes — first one way, and then the other. The branches shuddered and out popped a small Tasmanian Devil. Both were alone and lost in the snow, so they decided to head back to the North Pole with Sergio and the crew to see whether Santa could help them find where they belonged.

The presents were gone, they had emptied the pack,
And the critters all knew they should take the sleigh back.
But a snowman they built and while donning the hat,
The cries reached them from a lost little Sand Cat.

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 20 appeared first on Be the Cat.

Sergio’s fur was covered from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
Rin and Bobo had brought the Toys through the back,
While Jagger thought it was high time for a snack.

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 19 appeared first on Be the Cat.

At the first house, Sergio climbed up to the roof and scaled the chimney. He told the others he’d scout things out before they brought the presents up … because after all, what would happen if he couldn’t get through. At the top, he hung out for a moment after peering down the shaft and told the gang that they’d better be prepared as it was pretty dirty down there. Then he let go with a “Wheeeeeee!”

They arrived with a bounce, and I watched in such awe,
The joyous helpfulness of each little paw.
The packages were unloaded up there on the roof,
Down the chimney Sergio slid with an, “Oof!”

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 18 appeared first on Be the Cat.

Rin helped himself to a Christmasy sweater and scarf set, although Luna had to help him find the right hole for his head when he got caught in the sleeve. When she got to Jagger, he just shook his head and combed his already thick fur coat. Luna paced for a few moments, worried that Jagger would get cold, even though he was more used to the weather than the other animals. She ran to the closet and pulled out a bright yellow scarf and wrapped it around Jagger’s neck. He stood on his hind legs to better admire how he looked in the mirror.

When she reached Sergio, she didn’t have anything to give him, as he was already dressed as an elf … and if an elf cannot survive the North Pole, then nothing can. But at the worry in her eyes, Sergio drew her into a tight hug. She told him to be careful, and to come back safe. Sergio already had everything figured out, you see. He’d drive the sleigh with Rin and Ella as his navigators, and Finn, Bobo, and Jagger would keep an eye out for anything else flying in the sky. Then he walked her over to the Santa and sleigh wind chime and told her when she heard the chime it meant they had arrived safely and were getting the details for their secret mission.

The critters all gathered, to the North they did fly,
Bundled for winter, so they all would keep dry.
Rin and dear Ella took their places as crew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and elf Sergio too.

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 17 appeared first on Be the Cat.

Sergio: But Luna, I had to put on the mustache.
Luna: folding her armsWhy?
He led her to the chair where they always read their books and snuggled up next to her.
Sergio: In Toyland there is an evil man named Barnaby.
Luna gasped and her hands covered her mouth
Sergio: And Barnaby likes to kidnap and shrink people who get in his way, so he couldn’t know I was there. In order to chat with the Captain of the Guard to get the information I needed, I had to look like the rest of the guards, and they ALL had mustaches.
Luna: So what did you do?
Sergio: I snuck into the toymaker’s lab, inch by inch, and found the box of toy soldier parts and found the biggest mustache I could find. He wiggled his nose. It tickled at first.
Luna: Weren’t you afraid that the toymaker would find you?
Sergio: I had a plan. If the toymaker came in, I’d freeze and do pretend I was a stuffed toy.
Luna: That was so brave of you, Sergio.
He beamed.
Luna: Now take the mustache off.
Sergio: You don’t think it makes me look dashing?
Luna: You don’t look like MY Sergio!
Sergio: He peeled the mustache off and put it in his pocket. I’ll just keep it in case I need to go undercover for an assignment again. Speaking of … the other critters and I have something to do for Santa’s elves. I found a heard of magical dachshunds to help us fly.

As he trotted out the door, I heard the elves calling out.

“Now, Ella! now, Bobo! now, Sergio and Rin!
On, Jagger! on, Tizzy! on, Sandy and Finn!
To the kids you must go! and their hearts hold in thrall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 16 appeared first on Be the Cat.

Me: What’s wrong?
Sergio: The elves that were here are blonde.
Me: nodding
Sergio: But I’m not blonde. What if all the elves at the North Pole are blonde?
Luna drifted over when she heard him wailing.
Me: I’m pretty sure Santa has some dark-haired elves.
Sergio: But all the important elves, like Hermey from Rudolph are blonde. He turned toward Luna. You have lots of dolls. Maybe I could borrow some blonde hair from one of them. I promise I’ll give it back just as soon as I return from Santa’s workshop.
Luna: No! Sergio not blonde! She stamped her foot. Santa won’t know who you are if you’re wearing a wig.
Sergio: Hmmmm… you may have a point. Besides, I can’t go to Santa’s workshop right now anyway. The elves have given me a secret mission and I have to go to Toyland to talk with the Captain of the Guards.

With that he was off, back to the house to pick up some travel gear with Luna walking right beside him, telling him what he needed to take.

Sergio had a quest and he loved it so hard,
He ran off to visit the Captain of the Guard.
The elves gave each critter a mission to claim,
And they whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

And after he returned from his travels, I did see him sneaking a doll’s wig and trying it on for size. It’s a good thing Luna didn’t know.

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 15 appeared first on Be the Cat.

After a few moments, after another flutter of movement along the base of the trees, Sergio grinned. He whispered something to Luna and she nodded. Then in an oh-so-deliberately casual way, he strolled across the slope and toward the trees, his hands in his elf pant pockets. I almost expected him to start whistling. As he approached the trees, I saw a curly blonde head pop out of the brush for a brief second before a hand reached out and pulled it back.

Things were getting interesting. When Sergio reached the edge of the trees, he crawled up on a snowy bench and waited. The brush where the head had popped out trembled and a couple twigs snapped. Then out popped two curly blonde heads, followed by the rest of a boy and girl elf. They joined Sergio on the bench.

Luna stopped with her sled and cupped her hand next to her face and waved her fingers at Sergio. The elves and Sergio waved back and continued their conversation. Sergio later told me they had been sent from the North Pole with a message for him. But when I asked what it was, he simply smiled and said I’d find out soon enough.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 14 appeared first on Be the Cat.

The kids and their critters all took turns sledding down the hill, and when it was Sergio’s turn he insisted on a BIG push because he wanted to go really fast so he could pretend he was flying. Timmy, Michael, and Danny gave him a shove and he sped down the hill, chortling with glee. Luna screamed when he hit a bump and the sled went up in the sky. She tore down the hill, chasing him, tears streaming down her face.

She should have known. Sergio has a knack for being okay. The sled skipped off the snow a few times, then slid to a stop at the bottom. He jumped up, yelling, “Let’s do that again!” until he realized Luna’s distress. He put his long arms around her and gave her a big hug. Then he told her that next time they’d go down the slope together, as slow as she wanted. He didn’t want her to worry.

The trees lined the path, all straight in a row
Packed ‘round their trunks with the new-fallen snow
Sergio tore down the hill in a flash,
While Luna was fearful her sloth friend would crash.

The post Sloth on a Shelf – Day 13 appeared first on Be the Cat.