Charlie!
Lola?
Charlie!
Lola!
Charlie and Lola!

How many more minutes until Christmas.

I have this little sister, Lola...
Ding-ding-dong! It's Christmas!
..she's small and very funny.

Christmas is nearly, really coming, isn't it, Charlie?
Yeah! Today we can open the first window on our advent calendar.
What exactly does an advent calendar do, Charlie?
It tells us how many days there are up until Christmas.
Ooh!
One day I open a door, one day YOU open a door. And then it's Christmas Day!
Ooh! So if we opened all the doors straightaway now, it'll be Christmas Day right straightaway now?
Just open the first one, Lola!

Hmm. Number one...number one... Ah! There it is! Ooh! It is Christmas Land?
It's probably the North Pole. Where Father Christmas lives. A long way away!
More further than even the moon?
Maybe even further!
Ooh!

Ooh, that's really long.
That looks lovely.
And a purple one.
We opened our advent calendar today.
So did I!
What was behind YOUR door?
An elf! With ears that are all pointy!
I'm an elf!
Me too!

What's an elf?
Elves are Father Christmas' little helpers. They open all the letters, and wrap the presents.
Mmm. I like opening letters.
I had Father Christmas' sleigh.
Father Christmas' actual sleigh? That is going to land on our actual roof? With all our presents?
Ooh!

I had a horse with twigs on his head!
Huh?

Oh! A horse with twigs on his head!
That's a reindeer, Lola!
A reindeer?
It pulls Father Christmas' sleigh high up in the air!
Hmm?
This reindeer doesn't look very well, Charlie.
He's just snoozing before his big journey with Father Christmas.
When's Christmas going to come?!
When we've opened all the doors, Lola. You just have to wait.
Huh.

Whee! And Sizzle's going down the hill really, really fast, and oh no! He's going to crash into a tree! Then... He doesn't! Whew!
Does Father Christmas bring the same presents for everybody, everywhere?
No, sometimes he brings the present you asked for in your letter, and sometimes he brings surprises. Oh, and he always brings a tangerine.
Why does he always bring a tangerine?
I dunno. Cos they're really boring.

Hmm. That is my card for Lotta.
 That's really nice, Lola.
What is it?
It's Away In A Manger with Baby Jesus. Lotta really likes that song. Especially the bit where the cattle are lowing.
What is lowing, Charlie?
It's like mooing.
# The cattle are mooing... #
He he he
Red for Lotta...
Would you like me to write Lotta's name for you?
No, I'll do it later, after I have given Soren Lorensen his card.

Soren Lorensen is Lola's imaginary friend. No-one else can see him, except for Lola.

Ooh! Thanks, Lola!
It's a shiny, sparklyish, thing from a Christmas tree.
Yes! And you can see your face in it! Look!
Happy Christmas!
Happy Christmas! Happy Christmas!
Ding-dong-dang! Happy Christmas to you!

That...is a really nice Christmas card.
I knew you would like it! I have to go and write my letters to Father Christmas. I'm going to ask for something extra special for Charlie.

Hmm... Presents...
I'm ready to write to Father Christmas now! I'm going to draw pictures of the things I would like. Mmmm, mmmm.
A purse on a string... And I really, also, really want... Granny and Grandpa to come and stay!
Hmmm.
I think I will ask Mum to help me with this bit... as there may be something for you-hoo!
Mum!
Hmm. What would I like? Maybe I'd like a tennis racquet. Or a boomerang! Or...a chemistry set to do lots of experiments. Yes!

There! Mum helped me. Now, all I need to do is... put Father Christmas' letter in a RED envelope, because that is the same colour as his coat. And he likes red.
Hmm.
No peeking, Lola. This is MY private letter to Father Christmas.
OK, Charlie.
Oh. Hmm. Father Christmas... Lotta. Hmm. Erm... Lotta... Father Christmas.

Charlie, You write! "Father Christmas, Christmas Land, "Further Than The Moon, The Sky, Space, The Universe...Uhmmm, "Very, Very Far Away."
- Father Christmas...
L... O... T... T... A... Lotta!
Oh, Charlie, I'm very excited! We can post our letters to Father Christmas on our way to school!
Yeah! And we can post our cards for our friends in the school post-box.
I can't wait, I can't wait! Oooh! Oh!

Here you go...
Hurry up, Lola!
Don't get lost!
"Please remember my special thing for Charlie!"

I made five cards.
Your one is the best!
Maybe it's for you-hoo-hoo...
Lola! Move up!

Lola? Have you already opened this one?
No, Charlie.
What do you think it is, then?
Erm... Maybe it could be a robin, with a bit of mistletoe in his beak, standing on a twig with snow. Maybe.
Hmm.

Lola, you DID open my door, didn't you?
Come on, Charlie! Dad's waiting! It's time to get our Christmas tree!
Huh!

So many to choose from! I can't wait for Christmas!
Do you think the little elf helpers will have opened our Father Christmas letters yet?
Hmm. I don't know.
They must have travelled more further than the moon, I think.
Much more further than the world, even.
Wow!

C'mon, we need to pick the tree!
Oh, yes!
Too branchy!
Too prickly! Ow!
Too greeny...
Oh! That one!
I like that one! That big one!
Thank you! Hi, Lola!

But... But... That was OUR Christmas tree!
What about that one?
It's only a baby tree!
This is a much better tree, Lola. Look, it's got roots. And it's alive. That means you can use it every year. And every year it will grow bigger...and bigger.
Ooh!
We absolutely must have this tree.

There!
Turn the lights on, Dad!
Oh!
Wow!
Awww!
Oh!
Ooh!
Awww.
Oh!
Awww!
Dad! Stop it!
There!

My Sizzles is going faster than your Sizzles.
Yeah, but look, mine's got a hat!
Ha ha ha ha

I love his poppy-uppy nose!
Thank you, Lotta!
Dear...Father...Christmas...
For Christmas...
Huh?
..please may I have...
Oh, no, Lotta! That's my letter to Father Christmas!
And if you have got my letter to Father Christmas, that means Father Christmas won't know about my purse on a string, or that I want Granny and Grandpa to come, and he won't bring the special surprise for Charlie! Oh! Maybe he won't come AT ALL!
Oh no!

Christmas is all ruined, Charlie.
I told you. If you write another letter super-quickly, and we post it right this minute, then it might get to Father Christmas in time.
But how?
I know. We'll stick all of my stamp collection on the letter, and maybe it'll get there faster! Come on!
Please get to Father Christmas, please get to Father Christmas! PLEASE! And please remember my special thing for Charlie.
Oh!
It WILL get there!

Why was there a cuckoo clock inside the advent calendar?
I don't know.
Hmm. Still no snow, Charlie.
Do you think my letter might have got there by now?
[PHONE RINGS]
That might be Father Christmas, to say he's got my letter!
One...two...three...four... Four days to go!
Granny and Grandpa are definitely NOT coming for Christmas.
Why?
Because Caspar the cat has broke his actual paw.
Oh, no!
And if Granny and Grandpa are definitely not coming, Charlie, it means that Father Christmas definitely did not get my letter!
Oh, Lola... There's still time.
Oh.

A twinkling star on Christmas Eve! That definitely means that Christmas is going to be good! Father Christmas must have got your letter by now.
Ooh!
It is a very pretty star.
Come on! Let's hang up our stockings!

Look, Charlie!
You might get double the presents!
Ooh!
How many more minutes until Christmas?
Just time for some Christmas carols, and then tomorrow...it'll be Christmas!
Come on, then.
# Away in a manger No crib for a bed
# The little Lord Jesus Lay down his sweet head #
Arroowwlll!
# The cattle are lowing... Mooing!
Moo! Moo!
# The baby awakes #
# But little Lord Jesus... #
Snow, Charlie!
# ..No crying he makes... #
The cattle are lowing...

Snow definitely means that Christmas is coming, doesn't it?
Definitely! Biscuits for Father Christmas! Cos he must get very hungry.
The only thing that's left to do now, Charlie...
Careful, Lola!
..is to open the very last door on the advent calendar TOMORROW, because then it will be Christmas Day! Ooh!
Would it be all right if I just looked at the door, so that I know where it is for tomorrow? Please?
OK, Lola, you can FIND it, but NO OPENING until tomorrow!
Hmm... Where's Christmas Day? Oh! Oh! It's totally and completely not there, Charlie!
It must be here somewhere!
Where has Christmas gone?
I'll help you look.
That's not it!
There aren't any more closed doors, Lola!
Nothing!
No...
Nuh-uh.
All of them have been opened!
Where's Christmas gone?

Hmm?
Oh!
Well, if we can't find a door, we'll have to make one.

Charlie, look! It's all white and snowy! It's Christmas Land!
See, Lola... The reindeer IS sleeping! Just like I said!
But Charlie, it's Christmas Eve.
They need to be awake now, to pull Father Christmas's sleigh.

Hello!
Ooh!
What has happened to Christmas? There's no door! There's no door for Christmas!
What Lola means is, our calendar didn't have a Christmas Day door! At all!
I know! Everything was going really well. All Father Christmas's letters came down the chute.
Down the chute!
How do you know all of them came down the ch--...
Ahem!
Ahem!
We had got all the toys ready for people who asked nicely.
Asked nicely.
And we were just about to wake up the reindeer, when there was a CATASTROPHE!
A CATASTROPHE!
What's a capastrophe, Charlie?
It's a really big disaster.
We ran out of wrapping paper!
Oh...
But everyone in the world has been waiting for Christmas for completely ages! If it doesn't come at all, it will be a really big disaster!
I know! It's a catastrophe!
It IS! It IS a capastrophe!

Come on, Lola.
Ooh! Ooh!
Lola! Stop it!
The sky's made out of paper, Charlie!
Paper? It is! The sky is made out of paper!
Hmm?
What do you do with paper?
Um...
Wrapping up!
Oh!! Wrapping up paper! Little helper elves...!

Hmm?
Hmm?
C'mon, c'mon!
Urgh!

Yes!
Yes!

He he he
Wheee!
Ha ha ha
Whee!
Woo-hoo!
Ha ha ha

Present...
Wrap...
Sticky tape...
Bow.
Quickly! We may still have time!
Present...wrap... sticky tape...bow.
Present...wrap... sticky tape...bow.
Present...wrap....
Oh! The cuckoo clock!
That means it's nearly morning! We've got to get home, or WE'LL miss Christmas!
Ooh. Are you sure you didn't see a red letter from Father Christmas? With lots and lots of stamps on it?
We get a LOT of letters at this time of year.
Oh.
Come on, Lola.
Bye!
Goodbye!

My! What a lot of stamps!
Present...wrap... sticky tape...bow.

I told Mum all about the sky-paper, and how we saved Christmas, Charlie. And she said, we were very extremely clever.
Charlie...
You have to go to sleep!
I might be a bit too excited to do sleeping.
If you don't sleep, Lola, Father Christmas won't come!

Oh! Sleep...
Sleep...
Sle-e-ep...

Oh!
Oh!
Christmas is here!
It's came, Charlie! Presents!
Ooh!
Yes!
Look! They're all wrapped up in our twinkly sky-paper!

Uh? What's this one?
Ooh! A special thing, Charlie, I asked Father Christmas to bring, especially for you.
This?
Ye-e-es!
It's a pineapple, Lola!
You said tangerines were not a surprise! So I asked Father Christmas, "Please, no tangerines", and he gave you a pineapple!
Ha ha ha ha

Ooh! It's Granny and Grandpa!
There they are!
Mum, Dad!
Granny and Grandpa are here! And I got a pineapple from Lola!
You see, Charlie. Father Christmas DID get my letter.
He definitely did, Lola!
Ha ha ha ha