My Santa hadn't contacted me but I had known that he/she was on the job because my info had been retrieved, and on Dec. 17th my gift was marked as shipped! I didn't get a tracking number so I was in a lot of suspense. The package wasn't in the Dec. 21st mail so I hoped it would come before Christmas as I'd be out of town afterwards. I went out to shovel this morning, and there was a box on my porch! That stealthy mailman must have come back with it at some point yesterday. I was worried about the contents as it had been out all night in the cold.

I opened up the box and inside was another box, red with pawprints. I really didn't know what to expect from this! I opened it up with the help of my daughter, who was very eager to see what it was. The first thing I saw was the brown fuzzy head of a teddy bear, and an envelope with the Build-a-Bear logo on it. Hmm...could this be something for my daughter, who I mentioned in my profile? After taking the bear out and seeing what was under him, I knew that this bear was MINE! Pinstriped suit...Converse sneakers...glasses...OMG IT'S A DOCTOR BEAR! My Santa made me a Doctor Who teddy bear, specifically the Tenth Doctor!! We quickly got him dressed in all his David Tennant glory. He is so cute and perfect!

Thank you so much, Santa! You took my list of likes and ran with it in a really fun and creative way. You gave me Christmas joy and excitement, something special for my daughter and I to enjoy together, and you sparked my creativity! I like to sew and craft, and I think at the very least he needs a tiny sonic screwdriver. Thank you, Santa!! I love my gift!!

BTW, my daughter has not stopped playing with the boxes for the past hour! She keeps putting the bear in the boxes and presenting him to me over and over. :)

Edit: I've been thinking about why this gift was so special. Since I've been an adult, Christmas is usually people asking what I want, me telling them or sharing a wishlist, and people shopping for that specific thing. I'm always happy when I get the thing I'd requested, but there isn't really a surprise there. I also seem to have almost a sixth sense when it comes to guessing my own gifts that can take the fun out of it. This gift was the first complete surprise that I have had in YEARS. It truly is something I never would have guessed or didn't ask for, but exactly right. Thank you to Santa for giving me a wonderful surprise!