Christmas Eve - this is my favourite night of the entire year. My house smells like cookies and bread sticks. The Christmas tree is covered in shiny baubles and presents in red and green paper are oozing out from under its bottom branches. An elderly gentleman cat is snoring among the boxes; he loves Christmas too. Another cat, this one with a twitchy tail and perky whiskers, is curled up on the rocking chair. In half an hour they'll probably be chasing each other through the presents. Christmas carols are playing on the radio in the kitchen, and my dad is in such a good mood about finishing his shopping he hasn't told my mother to "turn down that awful, schmaltzy racket" or drowned out CBC with blues music. One brother is home and later on we'll all pile into the car to pick up the other brother. Then we'll drive around, looking at Christmas lights, "bickering" over who's taking up too much room in the back seat. Once we come home, we'll hang up our stockings by the chimney with care and nestle into our beds while visions of sugar plums dance in our heads. Merry Christmas everyone!