Author Sean Casey first conceived the story in 2004. The central premise -- a dad who loses it on Christmas Eve and cancels the holiday -- had his own three children in stitches so they put pen to paper. The story is narrated by the oldest of the children, a little girl who tells how her dad had a bad day that grew worse when he arrived home to a house in shambles. After rejecting their pleas and providing a stern lecture on the true state of the world, Dad banishes the two girls and boy to bed without them leaving out cookies and milk. The children huddle in bed, worrying what will happen when Santa shows up and Dad chases him away. Luckily, Mom drops in to say good night and provides sage advice as well as some much-needed light-hearted humour. Mum explains the true meaning of Christmas and lets the kids know she will put in a good word with Dad. In the morning, the kids wake to uncertainty. What if Mom failed? When they sneak downstairs, they see Dad sleeping on the couch by the tree, surrounded by presents. When the kids holler and wake him, Dad sits them down and recalls his meeting the night before, when Santa explained how lucky they all are to have each other.