The Very Best Gift (5 page)

15
Binky Grew to Be a Lovely Lady

A
nd
the gift of Buddy the 2nd made up for a lot of childhood losses.
Buddy
and Binky had puppies!

16
Buddy & Binky's Puppies

When I was a child, I lost three blond Cocker Spaniels, but we ended up with Buddy, Binky, and six blond Cocker Spaniel puppies.

17
All 6 Puppies Wrestling & Resting

18
Buddy Jr. Teething on a Broom

19
The Gift of Buddy Multiplied & Made Up for My Childhood Losses Too!

Wow! Choosing the winner of this competition was going to be hard. That was Daddy’s job as referee; he looked at me with a worried expression.
Both Teddy Ruxpin and Buddy were great gifts but which one was the best?
That was going to be a difficult decision to make. What do you think so far?

You might think that Haley would seem intimidated, but she was smiling.
It seems that she had thought of a gift that could stand up to the competition.

HALEY’S BEST GIFT: THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH

20
Haley in Christmas Photo 1998

It was Haley’s turn. Looking confident, she said,
“The Happiest Place on Earth!”
as if that should win the competition without question.
“You know, Disneyland: The Happiest Place on Earth. It was my birthday present and since my birthday is in December it counts for Christmas too.”

21
"The Happiest Place on Earth"

On her 7
^th
birthday, I had taken Haley to Disneyland and Southern California. My agent had been able to get us into Club 33, which is an exclusive dining place where Walt Disney used to entertain his friends. She and I had a wonderful time.

22
Haley Celebrating at Club 33, Walt Disney's Exclusive Club

Haley
got
to hang out with Mickey and Minnie at the Disneyland Hotel
and even go ice skating with them
.

23
Haley (far right) with Minnie & Mickey on the Way to Ice Skating at the Disneyland Hotel

So
, that was a very memorable gift. I could see why Haley would choose that trip as her best gift ever. She seemed to think that because Disneyland is called “The Happiest Place on Earth” that proved it was the best gift and she should win the competition without question. This was a problem I
hadn’t
anticipated when I proposed our little contest. Each one of our three kids seemed sure that their “best gift” was
THE
best gift. I could see that Patrick was already worrying over having to pick a winner. Maybe I could help him out.

I announced that I would like to enter my “best gift” into the competition too. They
didn’t
like that idea much, but I talked them into it, assuring them that we would be fair and they would be happy with the outcome.
So
they went along with it.

I was going to add something to Haley’s story that no one knew. Everyone loves hearing a story of something that had been secret but is about to be revealed so they listened closely. I hope you will, too.

MOM’S BEST GIFT: THE REAL GLORY OF CHRISTMAS

When Haley and I went to southern California to go to Disneyland, I took her to another place called the Crystal Cathedral where there was a performance called
The Glory of Christmas.
The Crystal Cathedral is a beautiful glass building that can seat thousands. All the walls are glass and the ceiling opens up to the stars. It is an amazing venue.