I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas . . .

Can I just tell you that I usually only get to hear this song maybe once a year, but our local radio station has received a letter from a class of fifth grade science students that have asked the DJ to play the song during a certain time slot because it is their teacher's favorite Christmas song. And if he hears it during that time slot, he will give the entire class an A on their next test. 

So, of course said DJ has decided to play it every day this week during that time slot (and I've been in the car line waiting to pick up Jaxon from preschool at that same time, so I've gotten more than my fair share this year). Those kids deserve an A for effort, ingenuity, and for taking over the airwaves if you ask me!

I really do like this song though, I mean I wouldn't imagine it's all that easy to work the word "vegetarian" into a Christmas song, but John Rox (the songwriter) and Gayla Peevey (the 10-year-old Oklahoma City crooner you hear once a year) managed to do it. And THAT just might be my favorite part of the whole song. :-)

Of course, the legend behind the song isn't too shabby either. As the tale goes, in 1953 the song had become such a Christmas hit, the local Oklahoma Zoo decided to use the popularity of the song to help them perform a publicity stunt of epic proportions. They would use the song to help them raise money to buy a hippo that they would then give to Gayla for Christmas. And of course, Gayla would give it right back to the zoo. Mathilda the hippo arrived on Christmas Eve that year and lived for 45 years.

So, if you think about that story, it really supports the magic of Christmas. Anything is possible at Christmas time - even "hippopotamus-es." So, I guess asking a radio station to play a novelty song in a certain time slot to get an A for your entire science class isn't out of the question. I'm sure that Christmas wish has been granted too! 

And I'll try to keep all of this in mind while we're frantically looking for the last-minute Christmas gifts that seem like they are the most IMPOSSIBLE things to find. Aren't those always the last things on the list? Repeat after me, "At least nobody asked for a hippo."

And if you need a refresher on the song, here you go. You're welcome.