Hi Boys & Girls,

Well, I see the year is winding down and now is the time I like to reflect on all the wonderful things that happened to me during 2008 and make plans for the New Year. One of those wonderful things is that I met you! You are very special and don't let anyone tell you any different. I had some wonderful adventures across America this year and I also started jogging again, something I've been putting off for years. And I made friends with lots of new animal friends like Peanut the Whale and Sammy Seal. Oh, and I can't forget those fun Menehunes on the island of Kauai who gave me that magic sand.

Tonight is the WINTER DANCE and I just danced a practice polka with my dear wife across the Ballroom floor. And you know, I am hardly winded. I think all that jogging through Christmas Tree Forest and around Frozen Lake is paying off. Right now the elves and elfettes are starting to decorate the Ballroom with strands of mistletoe and evergreen wreaths. Nimble is giving Big Ben instructions on how to hang a big banner with gold glitter letters that says HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The boys and men will be wearing topper hats and the girls and women will wear shiny silver and gold tiaras. Our band tonight will feature Rock Tock on drums, Cuckoo on guitar, and those South Pole Elfettes TWINKIE and DAZZLE on violins. And Big Ben will be playing the tuba. Now Rock Tock also plays the accordian and he claims he can play that as well as the drums, all at the same time! My, oh my, such talented musicians we have for our celebration tonight.

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve tonight and I'll write more tomorrow from our big New Year's Day party.

Love,

Santa

P.S The winner of the Santa.com drawing contest 2008 was Azhia!  

Hi Boys and Girls,

I jogged to Santa's Village through Christmas Tree Forest earlier today and am relaxing on the couch with a cup of Creamy Hot Cocoa.  Yum! 

I wanted to thank everyone again who submitted great drawings this year.  I found out that there is one Santa.com t-shirt left so I will choose a winner today and send out a Santa.com t-shirt tomorrow if not today.  I got more drawings since my Big Night so I would share them with you.

Take a look at this drawing by Libby.  That's a really cool Three Leg Table!  And you left cookies and milk for me.  So sweet.  Thank you Libby!

 

This drawing is by Samantha.  Ho Ho Ho!  I look so skinny and fit, don't I?  I love that the rudolphs and I are all smiling. 

And here comes Maya's drawing.  My beautiful boots are showing at the fireplace after leaving gifts at her house in Allen, Texas.  By the way, where is your stocking Maya?

 

And the last one is by Jacob 8 years old from Demorest, Georgia.  Look at the gorgeous blue background!  I also love the colorful door too.  Ooooohhhh, the snowman is doing my signature "give me a big hug" pose.  Wonderful!

 

Thanks again everyone for the drawings!  Until tomorrow,

Love,

Santa

 

Ho, Ho, Ho, Hello Boys & Girls!

I'm having a great jog around Frozen Lake today. All of the creatures of the forest are out, including Barry the Bear and Charles the Chipmunk. It's a nice sunny day up here at the North Pole and the birds are out foraging for seeds and the bunny rabbits are dining on some nice carrots that Rock Tock brought out for them early this morning. Can you guess who I'm jogging with today? YES! Rudolph and Clarice are with me and they're running on ahead. Rudolph is chasing Clarice and now Clarice is chasing Rudolph.

"I'll catch you Rudolph," says Clarice.
"I'm too fast for girls!" laughs Rudolph and then he kicks his legs and starts to fly.
Clarice kicks her legs too and now they're both flying above me over Frozen Lake. They are such graceful flyers. Rudolph tries getting away but Clarice catches him up near a cloud and they both return to the ground giggling and Rudolph blushes when she gives him a little kiss on his nose.

It is so nice to see two reindeer in love like this. They did a wonderful job pulling my Super Sleigh all around the world on Christmas Eve. I wonder if my sleigh was easier to pull since I lost a little weight? Anyway, did you know that Clarice loved Rudolph the moment she saw him and the same was true of Rudolph. Even when all of the other reindeer made fun of Rudolph, Clarice's love for him didn't waver. Now all of the reindeer respect Rudolph, especially since he has been the leader of my team for 5 straight Christmas Eves.

Well, I must jog back now to Santa's Village through Christmas Tree Forest.

xox
Santa

Hi Boys & Girls,

Well it was quite a RACE yesterday between Rock Tock, Cuckoo, and Penelope the Penguin. The elfettes Twinkie and Dazzle were cheering from the edge of the lake as I jogged by. Cuckoo took the early lead and then Rock Tock pushed down on the edge of his sled like it was a skateboard and flew through the air to take a big lead. "Cowabunga, Dude!" Rock Tock said as he sailed over the Lake. Twinkie and Dazzle were cheering "Go, Penelope, go!" and that little cute penguin did a triple flip with a half-gainer and zipped by on her chubby belly between the two sleds and WON the Race!

"I wanna lobster croissant!" Penelope said after she won.

My, oh my. That little penguin sure can eat. Anyway, today my dear wife and the elves and elfettes are getting ready for our big New Year's Day Party. We are also having a fireworks display on New Year's Eve and we plan on singing lots of New Year's Eve Songs and eating treats such as North Pole Fudge, Candy Cane Cookies, and Caramel Clusters. Rock Tock and Cuckoo wanted to be in charge of the fireworks this year but I thought it best to assign that duty to Nimble because he is so careful. Besides, that will give Rock Tock and Cuckoo more time to spend with Twinkie and Dazzle.

I'll write more tomorrow,

xox
Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

I trust you are enjoying your toys and games and presents and having a restful day today. Ask your parents to get you those batteries if I forgot to include them with your gifts. Today is Sunday and we are getting a good rest at the North Pole. My dear wife is busy helping Scurry bake sourdough bread and noodle soup in the kitchen. Some of the reindeer are out flying above Santa's Village and Comet is getting very excited about his new fawn, which may come into this world on the first day of the year. Can you think of a good name for Comet's little fawn? If so, EMAIL ME right away at santa2008@santa.com.

Tomorrow my dear wife and I will be planning our New Year's Day celebration. The Mayor of the North Pole has promised to come and so has President Arbuckle of the Holiday League. Can you believe it is almost 2009? Don't you think 2008 went awfully fast?

Right now I'm out jogging around Frozen Lake. It's a good thing I keep off a wee bit of that winter weight so it will be easier for me to get in shape next year. I can see Rock Tock and Cuckoo sliding across the lake on those new sleds I gave them for Christmas. Oh, goodness gracious, now they're racing Penelope the Penguin--why, she's on her belly sliding right between their sleds!

"Go, Penelope," say the elfettes TWINKIE and DAZZLE, "Go!"

I'll let you know who won the race tomorrow,

xox
Santa

Hi there Boys and Girls,

Well, believe it or not, I'm still recuperating a wee bit from my Big Night delivering toys to nice boys and girls around the world. I had a wonderful time at the Reindeer Party yesterday and even ate one of those wheatberry cookies that Scurry prepared for Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer. But don't get me wrong, I still prefer oatmeal and chocolate chip. By the way, I wanted to thank you for leaving out all those delicious goodies for me and my reindeer on Christmas Eve. Those treats gave us lots of energy to continue on delivering toys through the rest of the night.

Right now I'm having Mike the Mechanic check out the runners of my new Super Sleigh. You see boys and girls, I had a little accident showing off with my Sleigh when I was delivering presents in Paris. Remember that loop the loop around the Eiffel Tower I was talking about? Well, I got a little too close to the Tower and the bottom of my Super Sleigh scraped it.

"It's not too bad," says Mike the Mechanic.
"No?" I ask.
"I can have it fixed by tomorrow," Mike replies and he gets right to work.

Thank goodness. What a relief. I didn't tell my dear wife about my accident so let's keep it our secret, okay? Great. I'll write more tomorrow.

xox
Santa

Dear Boys and Girls,

Have you recovered from your exciting day yesterday? I'll bet you're playing with all of your wonderful toys today. Oh, in case I forgot to give you batteries for some of your gifts, ask your Mom or Dad to just run down to the store and buy a pack. Sometimes I forget to include batteries during the Christmas rush.

Well, after my big nap yesterday after delivering toys and presents to children around the world, I woke up to the sound of Cuckoo playing his magical flute. I entered the Party Room in Santa's Castle and my dear wife had organized a wonderful gathering. The elves and elfettes were singing "Silver Bells" and Big Ben was playing the tuba while Cuckoo played the flute and Rock Tock pounded on his new drum set. Nimble was the conductor and the elfette twins Sooner & Later played violins. I have never heard such wonderful music. I danced a waltz with my wife and we told each other how much we loved living at the North Pole and being married and making toys for children.

Then it was time for Rock Tock and Cuckoo to perform some of that rock music. Cuckoo pulled out a Wiggles Guitar and Rock Tock started a fun beat on his drums and pretty soon all the elves and elfettes were dancing and celebrating our wonderful Christmas Day. I was a bit hungry so I wandered over to the dessert table and had a big piece of cherry cheese cake strudel and a nice slice of lemon cheesecake. And I washed it all down with a big mug of warm eggnog. You know, I think I lost a little weight delivering all those toys on Christmas Eve so a few extra calories is okay for me. Did you have a nice Christmas dinner? Did you get any eggnog or Indian Pudding or cake? YUM.

"Here's one for you, Santa!" Rock Tock called from the stage.
"Okay," I said, "let's hear it."

Then those cute litte elfettes Twinkie and Dazzle ran up on the stage and they sang a rock version of "Jingle Bells" while Cuckoo went crazy on his Wiggles Guitar and Rock Tock pounded out a snappy sound. I did some of that fun rock dancing that you kids do and had the time of my life swinging Mrs. Claus all around the Party Room.

Well, I'm going to check out our fridge for a few leftovers, I'll write more tomorrow, okay?

Love to all,

Santa

Dear Boys & Girls,

Can you guess where I was last night? YES! Have you looked under the Christmas tree this morning? Good! And don't forget to check your stocking. I need to get a good rest this morning at the North Pole before our BIG PARTY tonight at Santa's Village with all the elves and elfettes and wondeful creatures of the forest. Why, right this very second my dear wife is helping Scurry make peach cobbler, French apple pies, Christmas cookies, and egg nog in the kitchen. The reindeer are very tired and are resting in the Reindeer Barn after their big breakfast of oats and carrots.

I had a most wonderful time traveling around the world delivering gifts and toys to all the nice children on all the continents. Did you like what I brought you? I had good weather for most of the trip, although I did run into some high winds in Australia and some fog in London. Thank goodness I had Rudolph leading the way with his bright shiny red nose. There was also a monsoon near India and a tropical storm brewing off the Philippines, but I was able to avoid bad weather thanks to some nifty flying by my A-team of reindeer. Now I hitched up Clarice right behind Rudolph and she had such terrific energy I can't tell you. We did a loop the loop around the Eiffel Tower last night in Paris and flew right over the Great Pyramid in Cairo, Egypt. It was a bit rainy in San Diego, California and also San Francisco but the crossing over the Pacific to Polynesia was safe and I stopped for fifteen minutes on the island of Kauai to have some pineapple juice with my dear friends the Menehunes. Oh, and I almost forgot. I saw Peanut the little whale and her family on my crossing! My, how Peanut has grown!

Well dear boys and girls, enjoy all your presents today and give the ones you love a big hug. I'll write more after my nap,

I wish you the merriest of Christmases,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

At last tonight is my Big Night.  Are you very excited?  Here in the North Pole we are listening to Christmas music all morning, sipping some hot chocolate, and getting ready for the most wonderful and exciting night of the year.

I want to thank all of the children who sent me great drawings this year.  You guys really impressed me and made me happy.  I also want to thank all of the children who left me nice comments on my blog.  I apologize for not replying to all of them but I remember, okay? 

Here is the last drawing I received this year.  It's from Megan.  Do you remember penguin Bill, our new exchange student who was visiting from the South Pole?  I want to thank Bill for being such a great swimmer and teacher for the reindeers.  Hope he comes back next year again.

Okay everyone.  Wish me a good luck for my Big Night tonight.  I will write tomorrow after my journey.

Merry Christmas!

Santa

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wandered mony a weary fit
Sin' auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught

For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Dear Boys & Girls,

Can you believe that tomorrow is my Big Night? This is the most special time of the year and I want to thank all my elves and elfettes and of course my dear wife for working so hard to make 2008 the best Christmas yet. These past few weeks have gone by so fast I can hardly believe it. Remember the big Christmas Parade in San Jose? And how about Penelope the Penguin's arrival and then Cuckoo flying through mid-air on his Bliss bike and landing on the Reindeer Barn? And how about the elfettes going crazy looking for Cowgirl Dora's purple hat? Yes, we've had quite a few adventures here at the North Pole getting ready for Christmas Eve.

In case you want to leave out a few treats for me, I wouldn't mind either oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies with milk. And if you want to leave out a few carrots for my reindeer that would be nice also. I just finished going over the NICE LIST with my dear wife so now I know who the nice children were all year long. It's okay to get excited and be listening for my arrival, but also try to get some sleep because then you will have lots of energy in the morning to unwrap all your gifts! I think you might be surprised what I'm bringing for you this Christmas, but I can't tell you now because then it wouldn't be a surprise.

Big Ben the elf meets me out on Santa Claus Lane and together we inspect my new SUPER SLED. Big Ben spent the entire day yesterday polishing my new sled and getting it ready for Christmas Eve.

"Do you think this sled will do the job?" I ask Big Ben.
"It's the biggest and best sled in the world," says Big Ben.

 Oh I got more drawings to share with you.  Take a look at this drawing by Jimmy 7 years old.  "Yipee!"  I love the happy/victory pose.  Jimmy already knows he is getting something special for this Christmas!

And here is a drawing by Willow. It's just a perfect drawing before the Big Night, isn't it?  Willow drew my magic sleigh wonderfully. Thumbs up Willow and Merry Christmas to you too!

 

I'll write just before I leave tomorrow with all the toys and gifts,

Love,

Santa

ps. I will decide tonight if it's Comet or Rudolph to lead my A-team.

Hi Boys and Girls,

How are you doing today?  I have just finished jogging to Santa's Village through Christmas Tree Forest.  When I came back, a few drawings were waiting for me!  I would like to share these wonderful drawings with you.

The first one is by Renee 9 years old from Pennsylvania.  Thanks for drawing my happy and jolly face!  Don't you love it too?  

 

The second one is by Nolwenn from Arizona.  Can you see the cutouts saying "Merry Xmas"?  Very creative, isn't it?  And Grinch looks as cute as me:))

 

The third one is by Nicole from Ohio.  The tree has tons of lovely ornaments.  Very nice.  Does your tree also have many bright ornaments like this?

The fourth one is by Rylen 6 years old.  I love that Rylen drew my big hands a heart shape and doing my signature "give me a hug" pose!  Love it, love it, love it!      

 

More later,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys & Girls,

After I visited the Reindeer Barn yesterday, I checked up on Rock Tock and Cuckoo in the Elfette Workshop. Both boy elves were helping the elfettes Twinkie and Dazzle finish up the BARBIE CRUISE SHIPS. I think I may have seen Rock Tock and Twinkie holding hands. Anyway, it's a good thing I had Big Ben construct my new SUPER SLED because a lot of little girls want these Cruise Ships for Christmas and I sure needed more room to carry everything from Santa's Village to nice boys and girls around the world.

Can you believe we are only 2 days away from my Big Night? Well, it's true. Big Ben is polishing my Super Sled outside and the reindeer are doing practice flights all day long. The Elf and Elfette Workshops haven't slowed down. Monday is TODDLER Day in both workshops and I just entered the Elf Workshop to see Nimble showing Big Ben, Cuckoo, and Rock Tock how to build the MAGIC RATTLE POOHS and the KICK 'N DRIVE GYMS for the little ones. These toys are much easier to build than the ones for older children and I see Cuckoo getting bored and starting to play with Pooh's Magic Rattle.

"Would you like a nice rattle like that for Christmas?" I ask Cuckoo.
"Oh, no, Santa," answers Cuckoo, "I'm too old for a baby rattle."
"No you're not, Dude," Rock Tock says, "it's a totally awesome gift for you!"
"Rock Tock should get a baby bottle in his stocking," Cuckoo says.
"Okay," I tell the boy elves, "that's enough silly business. Let's finish these up soon toys because Mrs. Claus needs to wrap them."

BTW, the drawing contest will be closed in 3 days so if you want to send me your picture, please hurry up!  Mia sent me a drawing of this beautiful Christmas tree and snowman.  I always love big Christmas trees.  Thank you Mia!

 

 

I'll write more tomorrow from the North Pole,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys & Girls,

I'm out in the Reindeer Barn checking up on all my reindeer and trying to decide who will lead my A-team on Christmas Eve. There's a nice fireplace in the Reindeer Barn and I've given all my reindeer a delicious breakfast of warm oats & barley. I'm going to bring them carrots and Christmas apples for lunch.

Right now we're just sitting around the fireplace reminiscing about Christmas Eves Past. Clarice is snuggling up next to Rudolph. Vixen, Comet's wife, is snuggling up next to him. We talk about the time Rudolph led my team through the worst blizzard on record and that incredible night that Comet and Vixen pulled my sled over Mount Everest. I still can't decide who will lead my team in 3 days but I'm sure the weather will help me pick which reindeer is best suited to lead.

"I wanna lead!" says Rudolph.
"I'm a better choice," says Comet. "I'm older and stronger."
"But I've got the shiny nose!" Rudolph exclaims.
"I would like to go with Rudolph," says Clarice.
"Ho, ho, ho," I tell them all, "you are all such wonderful magical reindeer. I will make my decision on Christmas Eve morning."

I must go now to check up on Rock Tock and Cuckoo in the Elfette Workshop. I hope they're not getting into any trouble and are nearing completion of that BARBIE CRUISE SHIP.

Thanks Kim for the cool digital art.  The bright pink background definitely stands out.  Good job!     

 

Until tomorrow,

xox

Santa

Hello again Boys & Girls,

You will be happy to know that after those boy elves Rock Tock and Cuckoo rode that sled down Santa Claus Lane at breakneck speed yesterday that they buckled right down and finished up the LUCKY DUCKS and PUPPY RACERS board games and even helped Nimble finish up the FISHIN' AROUND game. I think Rock Tock and Cuckoo are excited for our annual Christmas Party at Santa's Castle, where they might have a chance to dance with those girl elfettes Twinkie and Dazzle. The Elf Workshop, under Nimble's guidance, is finishing up the TYCO VERTIGOS and REWINDERS.

The Elfette Workshop is a bit behind schedule. I don't know how they are going to finish up in time for my Big Night without some of the boy elves' help. The elfette twins Sooner & Later haven't even started out on the BARBIE CRUISE SHIP and the GO GO MY SO REAL WALKIN' PUPPY isn't walking yet. And the POLLY POCKET DESIGNER MALL PLAYSET still needs to be put in boxes. I think part of the problem was that the elfettes had more projects to do than the elves.

I know Rock Tock and Cuckoo do not like helping assemble girls' toys and gifts, but maybe this once they might help with something like those Barbie Cruise Ships. I just walked into the Elf Workshop and see Cuckoo and Rock Tock finishing the last of the Rewinders.

"Would you boys like to help with the Barbie Cruise Ships?" I ask.
"No way, Santa Dude," says Rock Tock.
"Not in a kazillion years," chimes in Cuckoo, "I don't make yucky girlie toys."
"You'd be working with Twinkie and Dazzle," I tell them.

Rock Tock and Cuckoo look at one other.
"Maybe just this once," says Cuckoo.
Rock Tock nods. "It would be totally awesome to help them out," Rock Tock says.

More tomorrow from the North Pole,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

I have been getting a lot of drawings of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer these days.  Isn't he popular?  Here is one of the wonderful drawings of Rudolph and Clarice by Joy.  Rudolph looks handsome and strong, doesn't he?  Oh boy, it's a tough decision kids.  I am still debating between Rudolph and Comet.  Give me a few more days to decide who should lead the sleigh this year.

 

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys & Girls,

I am walking along a snowy path between the two workshops. I just checked in on the Elf Workshop and Nimble has everything well organized, although I couldn't seem to find those rascal boy elves Rock Tock and Cuckoo. I wonder where they are? All of the Board Games have been completed except for LUCKY DUCKS and PUPPY RACERS. I'm going to have Rock Tock and Cuckoo complete those two games by themselves when they return to the Elf Workshop because it wouldn't be fair to have the other elves do all of the work. Right now Nimble is showing the South Pole elves how to build the ELECTRONIC SLINKYS and the GEOTRAX RAILWAY SETS while Big Ben hammers out a few last minute HURRICANE COMMAND MEGAZORDS.

I just opened the door to the Elfette Workshop. A stereo is playing "Jingle Bells" and the elfette twins Sooner & Later are running all around the workshop in circles searching for something. They've got the South Pole elfettes in a dither and they're searching too. Papers are flying and toy parts and boxes are scattered all over the floor. I have never seen such a mess so close to Christmas Eve in a workshop.

"What have we lost?" I ask everyone.
Sooner looks over at me. "Cowgirl Dora's little purple cowgirl hat," she says.
"Couldn't we just make more?" I ask.
Later shakes her head. "We don't have the time," Later answers.

I look up and down the workshop. What a mess. Then I spot the corner of a purple box tucked under an AMERICAN IDOL KARAOKE SYSTEM. "What's in that purple box?" I ask and Sooner & Later rush over and open it up.

"Cowgirl Dora's purple cowgirl hat!" they both say. "Thank you, Santa!"

Well, it's a good thing I checked up on the Elfette Workshop today, don't you think?

I'll be sending you another note tomorrow from the North Pole,

xox

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Happy Friday!  How is the weather in your neck of the wood?  Here in North Pole it's a little cloudy but pretty calm and peaceful morning.  It's going to be a quite busy weekend here because the Workshop is pretty behind the schedule and we got only 6 days until the Big Night...

I got these 2 drawings yesterday via mail from David 8 years old and Diana 6 years old from Dunellen, New Jersey.  David's picture gave me an idea.  I was thinking about repainting one of the toy shops' roof next year.  Blue might be a good idea.  What do you think everyone?  Should I go with blue?

Diana, thanks for drawing me so handsome and slim!  Your picture reminds me of the unforgettable sky I flew last year. The sky was so clear and stars were filling the sky like a jewelry box.  I felt like I could really grab the stars! 

 

David and Diana, please tell your Dad that I said thank you very much for the sweet letter.  And also tell him that he is a lucky man to have such beautiful and talented kids like you guys.  

More later today from the North Pole.

Love,

Santa

 

Hi Boys & Girls,

Thank goodness BIKE DAY is finally over. I'll always remember it as Nimble our elf supervisor chasing Rock Tock and Cuckoo all over the Elf Workshop trying to get them off those bikes and back to work. Rock Tock was doing flips in mid-air with his Hammer Head Bike and, not to be outdone, Cuckoo got out a Factor X Launch Ramp and flew like a bird on his Bliss bike right out the Elf Workshop door and landed on the roof of the Reindeer Barn. Comet, Prancer, and Dancer had to fly up and help Cuckoo off. My goodess, I wonder what has gotten into my boy elves? Do you think it's because they have crushes on those elfette girls Dazzle and Twinkie from the South Pole?

It's BOARD GAME DAY today and Nimble has his blueprints and instructions out that tell him how to assemble these games. Right this second I can see that Rock Tock and Cuckoo are busy making the THUMB THING game. I'm glad the boy elves have settled down after yesterday's shenanigans. After all, Christmas Eve is fast approaching and I want all the toys and bikes and games ready so I can deliver them to all the nice little girls and boys around the world.

"Dude," Rock Tock tells Cuckoo, "this Thumb Thing game totally rocks!"
"I like TWISTER better," says Cuckoo.
"Where do you wanna go on our break, Dude?" Rock Tock asks.
"Let's go visit the Elfette Workshop," suggests Cuckoo.

My goodness. Well, it's a good thing I stopped by to supervise today.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow from the North Pole,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

I got this amazing drawing by Julianna 11 years old this morning.  I heard that she drew this when she was sick and home from school.  Pretty impressive don't you think?  Look at how she used minimal colors to create this beautiful art.  I also love her signature.  Great work Julianna!!!

 

I will write more later.

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Take a look at this wonderful M& M drawing by Taylor 10 years old!  (*Different Taylor from this morning.)  Great job on the little details.  I love the bunny slippers.  I have reindeer ones too!  Ho Ho Ho!  She didn't forget my cookie and milk.  That's so sweet.  Keep on drawing Taylor!

 

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

I'm busy supervising the elves today in the Elf Workshop. Big Ben is pounding out frames while Nimble rolls knobby tires over the workshop floor. Can you guess what they're building? Yes! Today is BIKE DAY, which means we're starting to build a few last models and finishing up on others. The bikes we're just starting to build are the Boys' HAMMER HEAD BIKE and the Girls' BLISS BIKE. Boy elves like Rock Tock and Cuckoo don't mind working on girls' toys and presents, as long as they're sports-related. But you would never catch them making those Baby Dolls that they're finishing up over at the Elfette Workshop. That's why it's good to have two separate workshops with the elves in one and the elfettes in the other. By the way, I just found out from my dear wife that the name of Cuckoo's little blonde girlfriend is DAZZLE. Now that's a cute name for an Elfette. I'm a little worried that Cuckoo will be disappointed after Christmas because Dazzle must return home to the South Pole and he may not see her again for a whole year. Well, at least he can send Dazzle emails and write letters to her every day.

"Santa Dude," says Rock Tock, "I rock!"

I look over and Rock Tock is doing a wheelie on one of the Hammer Head Bikes.
Then Cuckoo grabs one of the Bliss Bikes and rides it up the wall. They're both zipping all over the workshop and Nimble is chasing them around trying to get them back to building the bikes, not riding them.

"I love Dazzle!" admits Cuckoo.
"And that redhead elfette I met totally rules!" says Rock Tock.

"Alright," I tell both elf boys, "I understand you're excited about your elfette girlfriends but that's enough fooling around. You do want to stay on my NICE LIST, don't you?"

"Yes, Santa," Rock Tock and Cuckoo answer. Then they both get back to building the bikes.

More later from the Elf Workshop,

Love,

Santa

Good morning Boys and Girls,

I received a little gift from Ava from Vancouver Canada yesterday.  It's a really nice hand cream!  Mrs. Claus and I love it.  Thank you so much!!!

I also got a nice drawing of reindeers from Taylor.  I love the reindeers' beautiful pointy toes and cute eyes.  Spearking of reindeers, I need to make a decision pretty soon who is going to lead my sleigh...

 

I will write more later,

Love,

Santa 

Hi Boys and Girls,

I might have mentioned to you before but besides jogging, I started doing some stretching exercise before going to bed.  Thank you again Jenn for your email!  I have been doing your "before going to bed" exercise for a few weeks now.  So here is the routine.  First, I take a honey bath or lavender foaming bath depending on what kind of mood I am in to relax my body.  After the bath, I lie down on the floor and turn on a relaxation music and then do stretching.  Believe or not since I started doing this exercise I can sleep much better. 

Oh I got a great snowman drawing from Emily the other day.  You know purple was in vogue this year. The snowman's scarf looks quite fashionable.  Great work Emily!

 

.

Well, I am ready to go to bed now. 

Sweet dreams,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

After my long jog, I had Crockpot Chicken and Noodles for lunch.  The chicken was very tender and yummy.  I wanted to have another bowl but I didn't.  You should be proud of me!  But on my Big Night I think it's okay to have some oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies with milk because I would need a lot of energy to deliver presents, right?  Camille knew that I would need cookie with milk.  Sweet.  Thanks Camille for thinking of me! 

 

Love,

Santa

Hi there Boys & Girls,

I'm jogging right now around Santa's Village to get in shape for my Big Night. I ate a bit too much strudel yesterday so now I'm trying to jog it off. I've got my red sweatsuit and thermals on to keep nice and toasty. Snow flakes are falling on the Christmas Tree Forest and all the trees are turning white. I can hear music coming from the Elf Workshop and I see the fireplace glowing inside Santa's Castle. This truly is a magical time of year. Do you have any last minute changes to your WISH LIST? If so, let me know soon, okay? I'll bet you're wondering if you made my NICE LIST. Well, if you were as good as you were last year then you should be on it. By the way, Cuckoo the elf is jogging with me and he's pulling a mini-sled with Penelope the Penguin riding it.

"Faster!" Penelope tells Cuckoo.
"Okay," says Cuckoo and his little legs start moving like windmills. That Cuckoo sure is a fast one. Cuckoo zips across Santa's Village, zooms through Christmas Tree Forest, and he's heading for Frozen Lake.
"Yahoo!" I hear Penelope say.
"Be careful!" I call out.

I'm going to jog over to the Reindeer Barn now and check up on Rudolph and Clarice and the rest of the reindeer. I'm still not sure who will lead my team this year but I think much of my decision might depend on what kind of weather we'll be having on Christmas Eve.

More later,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

I got this drawing by Ghost.  Well, I am not sure if that's his real name, but anyway I think this sketching is pretty good.  That's me these days working on the Naughty or Nice List every night.  This year the Nice List seems much longer than the Naughty List which is good.  Ho Ho Ho!

 

xox,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

So I finally tried the Microsoft Paint.  You know what?  It's not as easy as I thought.  I am still learning what each tool does and trying to do some cool tricks like Georgiy did.  How did you draw a perfect tree topper like that Georgiy?  I guess I need more practice.  

More later,

Santa

 

Hi Boys & Girls,

You'll be happy to know that Rock Tock and Cuckoo are working hard today in the Elf Workshop after flirting with those elfettes the other day. Nimble was having trouble starting the MICRO SCRAM ELECTRIC MINI BIKE but Rock Tock helped him figure it out. "Nimble Dude," said Rock Tock, "you've gotta adjust the way cool thumb throttle!" And Cuckoo helped put on the wheels of the GATOR ATVs. That Rock Tock and Cuckoo are hard workers when they're not flirting with girl elfettes.

I just entered the Elfette Workshop and all the elfettes are working on the COOKIN' SOUNDS KITCHEN and the BARBIE BATH & BUBBLE HOUSE. I even see the elfettes that snuck over to the Elf Workshop and they're hard at work today. My dear wife and I are having a huge party on Christmas Day for all the elves and elfettes at Santa's Castle, so they'll have lots of time after my Big Night to get acquainted. I think that Cuckoo has a big crush on that little blonde elfette over there helping Sooner build a Bubble House. Then the elfette Later runs over to me.

"Santa, Santa," Later says, "we're running out of sinks for the Cookin' Sounds Kitchen, can we borrow yours if we get in a pinch?"
"I don't think Mrs. Claus would like that very much," I say.

More later from the Elfette Workshop,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

It's a peaceful Sunday afternoon here in North Pole.  I have just finished a piece of chocolate cherry ice cream ring that Mrs. Clause made a couple days ago.  I love the crunchy cookie crumbs and almonds in the ice cream.  YUM! 

Oh Sydney.  Thanks for the snowman drawing!  I love the nice little Christmas lights you circled around the picture and made it look like a picture frame.  Very creative. 

 

 

Well, I better go for a quick jog now.  Enjoy the rest of the day!

xox,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Well, we had quite an exciting day yesterday with SPORTS DAY at the Elf Workshop. After Rock Tock tested out the skateboarding ramp by doing a triple loop the loop in mid-air, and after Cuckoo shot about a thousand baskets at the basketball set net, both boy elves gave the "thumbs up" for these toys and settled down to help. Some of the elfettes, friends of the twins Sooner & Later, snuck into the Elf Workshop to flirt with Rock Tock and Cuckoo but it was a lucky thing I was there to shoo them out.

"But Santa Dude," said Rock Tock, "those elfettes were totally awesome!"
"You can flirt all you want AFTER Christmas," I told Rock Tock.

Now all of the Sports Toys for boys are about done and today is a day of rest. The only one doing a little work today is Mechanic Mike. He was nice enough to visit us at the North Pole to help put rubber runners on my SUPER SLED. Some of the reindeer are gathering around him now checking out the sled and talking to him about my Big Night.

"Will those new runners help with my landing when I lead Santa's team on Christmas Eve?" asks Comet.
"Yes, Comet," says Mechanic Mike, "your landings will be very smooth."
"I'm leading Santa's team," says Rudolph, "not you, Comet."
"We'll see about that," Comet replies.

Oh, well, decisions decisions.

xox

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Bianca, 7 years old from Dallas, Texas sent me a drawing of a happy elf.  I love the big ribbon on the wreath!  Do you have a beautiful wreath like that at home?  Over the years I have seen very interesting wreaths made of marshmallow, M&M, red chili, popcorn, buttons, coffee cups, and etc.  I am so curious to see what kind of wreaths I get to see this year.  ipod wreath?  Ho Ho Ho!

 

Sweet dreams,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Well I suppose you'd like to know how Rudolph did yesterday in our practice flight over Christmas Tree Forest and then on to Frozen Lake and back to Santa Claus Lane. One thing I'll say for Rudolph is he has the most perfect landings of any reindeer I've ever come across. Absolutely smooth, with no jostling of gifts and presents. However, despite the good landing, Rudolph was a little weak on his take-off. As a matter of fact, the bottom runners of my SUPER SLED actually grazed the tops of the Norfolks and Pines in Christmas Tree Forest. I'm wondering if Rudolph should have spent more time getting in shape for my Big Night than flirting with his girlfriend Clarice. Ah, Youth. Anyway, I just can't decide between Rudolph or Comet. But I have an idea! Write to me and let me know who you want to lead my team on Christmas Eve.

I just stepped into the Elf Workshop and Big Ben just walked by carrying a bunch of BRATZ FM LIMOS. It's a good system we have here with the elves making the limos and the elfettes making the BRATZ dolls over in the Elfette Workshop.

"What else are we making today?" I ask our boss elf Nimble.
"It's SPORTS DAY," Nimble says.

Nimble leads me to a special room where our elves and the South Pole elves are busy making the FACTOR X LAUNCH RAMP and the LITTLE TIKES EASY SCORE BASKETBALL SET. And wouldn't you know, Cuckoo is shooting baskets and Rock Tock is testing the ramp with his latest skateboard.

"Don't you elves have some work to do?" I ask Cuckoo and Rock Tock.
"This ramp's totally awesome, Santa Dude!" answers Rock Tock.
"I like shooting baskets!" says Cuckoo.

I guess that's what I get for making cool toys.

Have fun watching cartoons today and do remember to help your Mom with her busy holiday schedule,

xox

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Do you feel sad sometimes?  That's a question on the drawing by Trent 8 years old.  Hummm.  You know what?  Fortunately, I am happy all the time.  Especially this time of the year, I can't help being happy and joyful.  Be happy everyone and share your joy with your friends and family!   Ho Ho Ho!!!

 

Love,

Happy Santa

Hi Boys & Girls,

I wanted to give you a report this morning on the reindeer. I took off on a practice flight yesterday and flew over Santa's Village and then above Christmas Tree Forest. I had Comet lead the team this time and today I will give Rudolph a chance. I must say that Comet is in wonderful shape this season and Rudolph will really have to impress me today to earn the lead position. The only miscue in Comet's nearly perfect performance was a slightly rough landing on Santa Claus Lane, but I'm thinking that was because I'm flying my new SUPER SLED and Comet wasn't used to landing with it. Rock Tock, Cuckoo, and Big Ben served as judges and they gave Comet a score of 9.5 on a 10 point scale.

"Cowabunga Comet!" Rock Tock said as he held up his scorecard.

Today I'm checking up on the twins Sooner & Later in the Elfette Workshop. There are about one hundred little elfettes running here and there about the workshop, with Sooner & Later making sure they stay on schedule. There's a stereo playing "Jingle Bells" and Scurry just brought in a tray full of my dear wife's gingerbread men cookies as a snack for my hardworking elfettes. You will be happy to know the elfettes recently completed the SWAN LAKE BARBIES, the BRATZ dolls, and the MY LITTLE PONY CELEBRATION CASTLES.

"What are you making today?" I ask Sooner & Later.
"SUNNY DAZE & SWEET BERRY PONIES," says Sooner.
"Now that's sweet," I tell them. "Anything else?"
"FIRST ACT DRUM SETS," says Later.
"Drums?" I ask. "For girls?"
"It IS the 21st Century, Santa," Later says, shaking her head.

I'll write more later,

xox

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

After seeing what you can do with it, I started thinking maybe I should learn how to use this Microsoft Paint thing.  Look what Kyle did.  Isn't it cool?  Good job on airbrushing the snow and filling background with black color!

 

 

Love,

Santa

Dear Boys & Girls,

It's great to be back home at Santa's Village with my dear wife Mrs. Claus. She tried tempting me with an apple strudel this morning to fatten me up but instead I put on my snow boots and red parka and jogged around Santa's Village and then along Santa Claus Lane. I met Ronnie the Rabbit and her lovely family and also Belinda the Bluebird. There are so many wonderful animals out and about. I had Cuckoo deliver Ronnie a bushel of carrots and Belinda a package of bird seed. It is difficult for rabbits and birds to find much to eat with so much snow and I want to make sure they get plenty to eat in this cold weather.

Today Nimble is supervising both the South Pole elves and the elfettes. Over at the Elfette Workshop, Sooner & Later are busy making the AMERICAN IDOL KARAOKE SYSTEM. They usually don't allow elves into their workshop but they needed Rock Tock's help with some of the electronic wiring. "Cowabunga, Dudettes!" he told them when the music for one of Brittany Spears' songs began to play and then Sooner & Later sang a duet. Those two should be on Broadway!

I just walked into the Elf Workshop and see they are making THE HULK green electronic toy, TRANSFORMERS, and SUPER SLICKS racing cars. Big Ben the elf turns on one of The Hulks and it says, "ROAAAAAARRRR!!!" I sure wish I had the Hulk's help delivering all these toys for Christmas.

Well, I must go see how my dear wife is doing. She says she has chicken pot pies for lunch. YUM.

Please check back with me tomorrow for the latest on the reindeer,

Love,

Santa

P.S Thank you Little Ernie for your email this morning. I am doing fine and it was nice of you to ask! I'll make sure to deliver you something special this Christmas Eve.

Good morning Boys and Girls,

Have I mentioned about my new magic sleigh?  We are supposed to have a test drive this weekend.  It's supposed to be super powerful.  Very exciting.  The sleigh Samantha drew looks exactly like mine!  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer looks very happy and his nose seems much bigger and brighter.  Ho Ho Ho!

 

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Grils,

We have only 15 days left until Christmas.  Here in North Pole things are getting crazier and crazier.  One of the elves Big Ben was telling me that he woke up in the middle of the night last night because he was busy working and forgot to feed reindeers in his dream... 

Celina from Stow, Ohio must have been busy drawing many snowflakes, too!  Look at the snowman!  He is doing my signature "give me a hug" pose!  How cool is that?  Celina, I love the purple wall and the red roof.  It reminds me of the colorful houses at El Caminitos in Buenos Aires.

 

I have to run now.  More later.

Love,

Santa 

Dear Boys & Girls,

I have just returned from my adventures around the USA and am back home at Santa's Village. It's nice to be back home with my dear wife and all the elves and elfettes. Mrs. Claus says it looks like I've lost weight and she wanted to fatten me up with butterscotch pudding and double chocolate brownies and vanilla fudge. Well, I don't want to get too fat because then I won't have the stamina to deliver presents around the world.

Right now I'm in Santa's Office discussing plans for my Big Night with my elf Nimble. Nimble is our resident toy genius. Nimble's got the workshops in full swing today making RADIO FLYER TRICYCLES, STORYBOOK COTTAGES, and the FIRECRACKER and CRYSTAL BIKES. Our elf Nimble was successful in putting the hokey pokey back in HOKEY POKEY ELMO, all he needed were the batteries!

Have you made your WISH LIST yet? Ho, Ho, Ho, I'm glad you did! I'm thinking about giving you a few surprise gifts this year, would that be okay? Of course I need to check my NICE LIST first to make certain you were nice all during the year. Even if you think you might be on my NAUGHTY LIST, you can make up for it by being extra specially nice to everyone during these last two weeks before Christmas. Oh, and I won't be at the North Pole all the time. I'll be visiting the malls and stores and parades so you can have a chance to see me in person to tell me what you want for Christmas.

Rock Tock comes running into my office. "Santa Dude!" he says to me.
"Yes," I answer, "what is it Rock Tock?"
"Check it out! Comet and Rudolph are having a totally awesome race outside!"

Well, I'll write more later,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Check out this drawing by Brett from Granite City, IL.  Thank you Brett for making me look so handsome and slim!  You really made my day.  I also love the big and bright tree topper.  It got a perfect shape.  Great job!

 

I have been getting a lot of drawings and they all are really amazing.  It's getting quite tough for us to choose winners of the drawing contest.  We were going to give Santa.com t-shirts for the winners but since we don't have anymore t-shirts left, we need to think what to give for the winners.  What should I give them?  Anyone got an idea?

Love,

Santa 

Hello Boys & Girls,

I sent all the elves and elfettes back to the North Pole after our Big Parade is San Jose. They had so much fun meeting all the special boys and girls in the city and so did I. I wish Big Ben, Scurry, Cuckoo, and the twins Sooner & Later could have spent an extra day with me and Rock Tock but I understand from my dear wife that the South Pole elves are having a bit of trouble stringing the last of the WIGGLES GUITARS and building the CARE BEARS CASTLE, not to mention a slight problem getting HOKEY POKEY ELMO to hokey pokey.

The last stop of my adventures is in Tacoma, Washington. This is a beautiful town and they've really gotten into the Christmas spirit with decorations and wonderful holiday scenes painted on storefront windows. Rock Tock is skateboarding with some of the local Tacoma boys. Rock Tock sprinkled some magic Menehune sand on his board this morning and I watch him jump over a crate of apples with his board and then do a loop-the-loop in mid-air.

"Radical!" says one of the Tacoma boys.

That's my Rock Tock. We should be back at the North Pole by tomorrow morning.

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

How is your day going?  I have just finished a SMALL piece of cherry pie.  You will be very proud of me because I didn't put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the cherry pie like I always do. 

Ho Ho Ho!  I got the first Grinch drawing from Makayla from Centereach, NY and this is a really good one.  Makayla, you are so talented.  Please keep on drawing.  Someday you will be a famous artist and tell everyone that "Santa was right!"

More later,

Love,

Santa

 

Dear Boys & Girls,

I had so much fun at the Holiday Parade yesterday, I can't tell you! There were so many wonderful children in the crowd and my elves and elfettes handed out all the special gift boxes that my dear wife wrapped. Rock Tock did a loop the loop on his mini-sled skateboard and everyone in the crowd cheered. "This RULES!" Rock Tock said and then he did a little elf jig on our float. Then the elfette twins Sooner & Later brought some wonderful children over for me to meet, including a nice boy named Nick who wanted a yellow bowtie for Christmas and a sweet girl named Devon who wanted a pet goldfish like the goldfish in THE CAT IN THE HAT. Everyone started dancing when Scurry, Big Ben, and Nimble broke out in song singing their rendition of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." I will never forget my wonderful time in San Jose.

I'm getting a good rest today in Portland, Oregon. Portland certainly is a super terrific city, with lots of friendly people. I'm sure I'll be back at the North Pole by mid-week to start getting ready for Christmas. My dear wife tells me it's NICE LIST DAY at the North Pole--that's usually when we decide who's been NAUGHTY and who's been NICE during the past year. It's not too late to make the NICE LIST if you make an extra special effort to be nice to everyone these next few weeks.

I'll write you again tomorrow,

Love,

Santa

Dear Boys & Girls,

You'll be happy to know that I made it safely to the state of California from Utah this morning! I'm glad Mechanic Mike put those rubber runners on my sled because it was the smoothest of landings. I met with the Mayor of San Jose and introduced myself and all the elves and elfettes who came down from the North Pole. The Mayor treated us all to a delicious breakfast of apple fritters, cherry strudel, and hot chocolate. YUM.

Right now I'm on a float wearing my bright red suit in the Christmas Parade! Sooner & Later are here with me and so are Cuckoo, Big Ben, Nimble, Scurry, and Rock Tock. Our float is beautifully decorated with wreaths, candy canes, and Christmas lights. Scurry brought down some sugar cookies from the North Pole and he's tossing them into the crowd. Oh, there's Jimmy and Becky, two children who made my Nice List. I'm so excited to be here and there's a high school band playing "Jingle Bells" that's marching right in front of us. Rock Tock is skateboading up and down a ramp with red and green lights we put on the float. I'm waving at a huge crowd of parents and children that have gathered along the sidewalks of downtown San Jose. "Merry Christmas, Santa!" calls little Nancy from the curb. "Ho, Ho, Ho," I say, "Merry Christmas to Nancy!" Cuckoo jumps off the float and runs over to her one of the special gift boxes. "Oh, thank-you, thank-you Santa!" says Nancy. And then I see Miguel, Roni, and Katie too. So many nice children here today. Big Ben is walking along the sidewalk handing out one gift box after another.

Rock Tock zips over to me on his skateboard. "Santa Dude," he says, "I think the totally cool time is now."
"Yes," I say, "the time has come."

Rock Tock gathers all the elves and elfettes and together they begin to sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." The children along the streets of San Jose begin to dance for joy and I wave to them all and say, "HO, HO, HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

More tomorrow,

Love,

Santa

Howdy Boys & Girls,

Rock Tock and I flew southwest from Minneapolis yesterday and we arrived at Salt Lake City this morning for a brief stop-over on our way to California. Can you tell me what state Salt Lake City is in? That's right, it's in the state of Utah!
I'm right outside the ZCMI Center Mall and I'll be inside shortly to hear what all the nice boys and girls want for Christmas. Right this second Rock Tock is showing some boys how to skateboard on a mini-sled he built himself at the North Pole.

"This rocks, Dudes!" Rock Tock says as he zips down a hill on his mini-sled.

That Rock Tock sure loves being on boards and sleds. He wants to try out for a Surf Team in Hawaii after Christmas and he's designing a special board for that. Anyway, we leave for San Jose, California tomorrow morning and, according to my map, it looks like the city's directly west of us. I'm to meet up with Big Ben, Scurry, Nimble, and the elfette twins Sooner & Later early in the morning and they'll have all the special gift boxes that Mrs. Claus wrapped. I hope to see you at the Big Parade tomorrow in San Jose!

"Cowabunga, Dudes," says Rock Tock, "that Big Parade will be totally awesome!"

Goodbye for now from Utah,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Hello again from Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It's currently cloudy and feels like it's around 20F or so.  I have just had a hot cocoa with whip cream and a chocolate covered espresso bean on the top.  My whole body feels warm and energized to fly over to Salt Lake City later this evening.

Do you have any plan for the weekend?  Anybody planning to do some shopping?  Or chilling with friends and family?  If you have no plan, send me your drawing!  Lucky children will win something cool!

Let me introduce you some of the drawings I got today.  Take a look at the picture by Cecelia.  I told you that I have long legs, right?  I also have big hands.  And this is one of my signature poses, "give me a big hug" pose.  

And this picture is done by Cecelia's brother, Spencer.  See?  My big hands become handy.  I can carry many presents at once.  Good job guys!  

 

 

More later,

Love,

Santa 

 

 

Dear Boys & Girls,

Last night Rock Tock and I took off in our magic sleigh from Ohio after Mechanic Mike finished putting on the rubber runners that will help with landings. We headed Northwest and just had a smooth landing beside a river in the state of Minnesota. We're in the city of Minneapolis, and it's a cold day today. It's not as cold as the North Pole but I'm still wearing my gloves and bright red down jacket. I just looked at the temperature flashing on a building and it's 32 degrees. Rock Tock just unhitched Sandy from my team and the two of them are flying around the city. I hope they don't get into any trouble.

Don't worry about me missing the Big Parade in San Jose, California this coming Sunday, December 7th. I've never missed a Christmas Parade once in my life and I hope to see you there because Mrs. Claus is wrapping special gift boxes right now for me to hand out to some of you nice girls and boys. You might ask what's in those gift boxes but I think I'll keep that a big surprise until the Parade!

Uh, oh. I just saw something circling the big tall Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis. Could that be?

"THIS RULES, SANTA BABY!" Rock Tock says as he flies around the tower on Sandy's back. Now Rock Tock is using Sandy's back like a surfboard. "COWABUNGA!" he says as he hangs ten. There's a crowd gathering below and people in the tower offices are watching through their windows.

I'm not sure this is such a good way to begin our visit of Minnesota,

Love,

Santa

Hello Boys & Girls,

I just got word from Mrs. Claus up at the North Pole that they're expecting me at the San Jose Christmas Parade this coming Sunday, December 7th. If you're in the area will you come and see me? GREAT! I'll be looking for you. And I'll be giving away special gift boxes to some lucky boys and girls in the crowd and my elves and elfettes will be coming down from the North Pole to join me. Would you like to meet the famous elfette twins Sooner and Later? What about that crazy Cuckoo elf?

"Yo, Santa Dude," says Rock Tock, "tell them I'll be there too!"

Yes, Rock Tock will be riding with me west as we head back to California. Today we're in the state of Ohio, in the town of Akron. Mechanic Mike is fitting my sleigh with rubber runners so my landings will be a little more gentle. Rock Tock said that last landing in Akron made his tummy tumble, but I think that was because he pigged out a bit on saltwater taffy at that TAFFY TOWN store in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

"You're ready to fly, Santa," Mechanic Mike says.
"What do I owe you, Mechanic Mike?" I ask.
"I never charge Santa," he says.
"High five banzai!" says Rock Tock and he leaps in the air and slaps hands with Mechanic Mike.

California here we come,

Love,

Santa

Good morning Boys and Girls,

I had a dream about snorkeling in Bahamas last night.  All kinds of beautiful coral reef fish surrounded me and I felt like I was one of them.  Have you guys ever snorkeled before?  It is amazing experience to see marine life at the underwater. 

Anyway, I would like to start my day introducing these great drawings we got via mail.  Joe, 9 years old from Philadelphia, PA drew a picture of a hardworking elf picking up mails from a parking lot.  As you all imagine, the elves and elfettes have been working really hard because we have only 21 days until Christmas!

Take a look at the colorful Christmas tree Nicholas from Millport, NY drew!  I think the red carpet compliments to brighten up the tree and the ornaments.  The snowman must be happy to stand next to such a beautiful tree.  

Ho Ho Ho, Amy!  Do you know why I love your picture?  I love it because everybody is smiling!  I love to see smiles on everyone's face because it makes me smile.  Hope I am making everyone smile too.

 

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

How is your day going?  We were heading west and decided to stop by at a cafe for a cup of eggnog latte.  Don't worry.  I got a non fat eggnog latte.  While waiting for the eggnog latte, I want to share some of the drawings we received the other day.

Check out this beautiful Christmas tree by Hanna, 8 years old from Chadds Ford, PA.  It's a pretty big tree, isn't it?  These sparkly ornaments definitely drew my attention!

 

 

How did Hanna's little brother Michael know that I actually have long legs?  You guys don't get to see them because I always wear my suits but now you know!  It's still a mystery where the 4 years old boy got a secret from.

 

 

And here is a drawing of Holy Night by Cayla.  Yes Cayla.  I love it!  And you are welcome.  I am glad to hear that you liked the ornament. 

Keep heading west.

More later,

Santa

P.S The non fat eggnog latte was quite good!

 

Hi Boys and Girls,

You'll be happy to know that Rock Tock elf rode Sandy the flying reindeer in for a safe landing at Cape Porpoise Harbor in Maine, although they came a little too close for comfort to the Goat Island Lighthouse. Lighthouse Larry was shooing them away as they made their descent. "Cowabunga, Dude!" Rock Tock told Lighthouse Larry as he swooped in. First thing that Rock Tock wanted to do in Maine was to go find some saltwater taffy. We found a little shop called the Sugar Shack but they said taffy was out of season and then offered Rock Tock some watermelon fudge. Rock Tock said he was holding out for taffy.

Last night we flew the magic sleigh west over the state of New York and then over Canada. Can you guess where we are? Yes, we're in the state of Michigan!
If you look on a map or globe you will see this state looks like a big glove. Right now Rock Tock and I are strolling the sidewalk in the town of Grand Rapids. There's a slight sprinkle of snowflakes and the people here are busy getting the town spruced up with Christmas trees and sparkling lights and beautiful decorations. It's really starting to look like Christmas!

"Hey, Santa Dude!" says Rock Tock.
"What is it, dear elf?" I ask.
"Look!" he says and points to a shop called TAFFY TOWN.

Can you guess where we're heading?

More later from Michigan,

xox

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

I had sushi for lunch today.  Sushi is supposed to be healthy and zone friendly.  I even omitted rice and ate only the fish so I should be okay.  Rock Tock never had sushi before and I was surprised that he was okay with wasabi (Japanese horseradish).  Sometimes I put too much wasabi on my sushi and cry from the hotness. 

Anyway, I have been getting a lot of drawings and wanted to share some of them.  First one is by Penelope, 5 years old from Sudbury, MA.  I love the yellow curtains in the living room.  They match with the presents under the tree.  I will remember that your house got a beautiful tree and yellow curtains.

The second one is by Zachary, 6 years old from Mt Holly, NJ.  He knows how I feel about my elves.  Oh yes.  You are right, Zachary.  Elves Rooooooock!!!  I am preparing special gifts for them this year but don't tell them yet, okay?

The third one is by Ly from Toledo, OH.  Check out my cool parachute!  As you can imagine, it's not easy to land on a snowy roof but I will get there. 

 

I will post more drawings later.

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Take a look at this digital painting by Haley.  What a smart kid she is!  This is probably one of the best Christmas Manger Scenes I have seen so far this year.  Well Done Haley!

 

Ho Ho Ho!

Santa

Hello Boys & Girls,

I'm jogging along a path at Cape Porpoise Harbor in Kennebunkport, Maine. It's a good thing I exercise so I'll be in good shape to deliver you your gifts on time on Christmas Eve. Do you exercise too? Good!

I had a nice lunch with Eddie and Suszy yesterday, two wonderful children from Portland. Can you guess what we had for lunch? Well, we had lobster salad sandwiches on sourdough bread and then lemon cheesecake! Please don't tell Mrs. Claus about the lemon cheesecake because I'm supposed to be dieting.

It's a crisp cool day in Maine today with bright blue skies and I'm looking out toward the Goat Island Lighthouse because that's where Rock Tock the elf will be landing with Sandy the flying reindeer. By the way, I want to thank some of the wonderful children who have sent in their artwork, which you can see now in the Drawing Gallery. The children are MADISON, KATIE, and KEN. I also want to thank DYLAN, MEGAN, and WILSON. I particularly enjoyed the drawing of me.

Wait a second! There's something in the sky. Is it a bird? A plane? No, it's Sandy the reindeer flying in for a landing with Rock Tock elf!

More later from Maine,

Love,

Santa

Hi Kids,

I see from my calendar that it is now the month of December and I am only 23 days away from my Big Night. Are you getting excited? Me too. Have you made your Wish List of Christmas toys? I sent DeDe back to the North Pole today so she can help Mrs. Claus and the elves and her elfette friends get all the toys ready in time for you wonderful girls and boys. But don't worry, I won't be alone. DeDe has already contacted Rock Tock and he'll be joining me here tomorrow on the east coast of the USA. Rock Tock calls me "Santa Dude" and sometimes even "Santa Baby." That elf certainly is a character!

Can you guess where I am today? Well, I headed north from Boston, flew over the state of New Hampshire, and landed in a city next to the ocean. YES! I'm in Portland, in the state of Maine. Right now I'm in a park across from Boothby Square and I'm playing the Hungry Hungry Hippos game with two wonderful children named Eddie and Suszy. Eddie says he wants a WIGGLES GUITAR for Christmas and Suszy would like the SUNNY DAZE and SWEET BERRY PONIES.

This just in on my laptop--Skyler wants me to fly over Cross Plains, Tennessee on my way back to the North Pole. Dear Skyler, I will do my best to head back your way when I make my last flight back to the North Pole.

Love to you all,

xox

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

We finally got a drawing of elf by Amanda, 9 years old.  Good job on shading!  I love the snowman's outfit as well.  Ho Ho Ho!!

 

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys & Girls,

I just got off my cell phone with Mrs. Claus and she tells me it's been a very cold day at the North Pole. I'm glad I installed that heater in the Reindeer Barn for Rudolf and the rest of my reindeer before I started by travels. If someone gets sick I will never be able to complete my appointed rounds. I understand Scurry the elf is busy making hot blueberry muffins for the wee people of Santa's Village and I wish I was up there having one of those delicious muffins myself.

Right now DeDe and I are marching down the Freedom Trail in Boston seeing some historical sites. We just saw the Paul Revere House and the Old North Church. Now we're approaching Bunker Hill, which has a big tall monument rising up into the sky.

"Race you to the monument, Santa," DeDe says.
"What are we racing for?" I ask her.
"A big ol' blueberry muffin," DeDe replies.
"On your mark," I say, "get set, GO!"

More later from the big race,

xoxo

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

I need to leave and run some errands in 10 mins but before leaving, I wanted to share this great drawing by Lindsey, 7 years old.  I love Golden Retriever!  They are adorable dogs, aren't they?  Thank you Lindsey! 

 

Love,

Santa

Hi there Boys & Girls,

Well, it's true. DeDe did beat me in that race to that big maple tree next to the Charles River, but only because I tripped on a root. I was ahead of her at the time and confident I would win the Indian Pudding Race. Oh, well, you can't win them all. And DeDe is light on her feet. She is, after all, an Elfette. Now DeDe and I are having New England-style clam chowder and Boston Baked Beans for lunch at a wonderful restaurant called Durgin-Park. This is one of the oldest restaurants in Boston and it's located in the Faneuil Hall Market Place, not far from a historical ship called Old Iron Sides. I just finished my clam chowder and beans and so did DeDe. But it seems something is missing from this lunchtime meal. What could it be?

"Would you two like some dessert?" Wilma our waitress asks.
DeDe nods her head. "If you please," she says. "I want a big fat bowl of Indian Pudding for winning the Indian Pudding Race!"
"I think I'll have a small bowl of that same nice pudding," I tell Wilma.
"Oh, no, no, no," DeDe scolds me, "you're on a special holiday diet."
"I'll bring Santa Baby a free bowl of beans," Wilma says.

More later from Bean Town,

xox

Santa

Dear Boys and Girls,

Yes! That was me at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City yesterday! Did you see me on your TV? Do you think I'm losing a little weight? 
I was able to take a few hours off from my picnic at Plymouth Rock to make a special appearance and now I'm back in Massachusetts. I want to thank Shayla for sending me my first Christmas card for 2008--that just arrived by email on my laptop computer! It's nice to send cards at Christmas because then people will know you care about them, especially aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Right now I'm jogging with DeDe along the Charles River in Boston. I have on my red sweats and DeDe has on her elfette cap and green sweats. I have to wear off the calories from my Thanksgiving Day feast yesterday, which included a second helping of that delicious Indian Pudding. Please don't tell Mrs. Claus. 
Did you know the first Thanksgiving lasted 3 straight days? Can you imagine how much Indian Pudding the Pilgrims must have eaten in 72 hours?

"Come on, Santa," says DeDe, "first one to that maple tree over yonder wins a big helping of Indian Pudding!"

Oh, Oh. DeDe wants to race. Well, I think I'll give her a run for that pudding.

Love to you all,

Santa

Happy Thanksgiving Boys and Girls!

Don't worry about the reindeer getting loose in New York City--Park Ranger Ralph helped me track them down in Central Park. A wonderful group of children had discovered them and patted and hugged every single reindeer. It was hard to leave the City but I had to hitch up my reindeer again to my sled. Before I knew it, DeDe and I were flying north for Plymouth Rock.

Now I'm having a wonderful picnic Thanksgiving next to the actual rock that the Pilgrims landed on way back in 1620. The Curley family is hosting this picnic and they are direct descendants of the first Pilgrims who sailed over on the Mayflower. Plymouth Rock isn't such a big rock but it has great significance in American history. The Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving the year after they arrived because it was their way of thanking God for a wonderful first harvest. And they invited a tribe of Native Americans known as the WAMPANOAG to join their celebration. The Wampanoag brought Indian Pudding to the party and boy, oh boy, did the Pilgrims enjoy that!

Speaking of Indian Pudding, DeDe is having some right now with a nice boy and girl named Lance and Debbie.

"Will you save some of that Indian Pudding for me?" I ask DeDe.
"I thought you were giving up sweets, Santa?" DeDe asks back.
"I am," I tell DeDe, "but Thanksgiving is the one day of the year I don't worry about calories."

More tomorrow from Massachusetts,

Love,

Santa

Hi there Boys & Girls,

Greetings from Times Square in New York City! It sure is a busy morning here the morning before Thanksgiving. The day is cool and clear and lots of yellow taxis are heading up and down the street. I took a nice jog around Central Park at the crack of dawn with some brave New York City firemen and then DeDe and I had a hearty breakfast of eggs and hash browns over at the Fire Station. The reindeer are fine--they're staying in Central Park under the supervision of Park Ranger Ralph. Park Ranger Ralph brought them buckets of sweet wheatberry grass and they had quite a feast. I need my reindeer to have lots of energy for our trip north tomorrow to the state of Massachusetts.

People are doing lots of shopping at Times Square today and taking loads of pictures. I'm fairly sure nobody recognizes me in my red parka, red gloves, and white scarf wrapped around my neck. Do you think you would recognize me wearing these clothes? The Firemen say I should stay an extra day and be in the New York City Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow.

DeDe is munching a pretzel and doing an elfette jig dance to stay warm.
Then I hear CLIP CLOP, CLIP CLOP. I look north and see Park Ranger Ralph galloping toward me on a horse. "Santa," he says, "the reindeer are loose!"

Sorry children, I must say goodbye for now,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Mrs.Claus called me this morning and was all excited about the picture she got yesterday via mail from Molly from Fishers, Indiana.  Mrs.Claus was in love with this house because it got a colorful chimney and beautiful Christmas decorations inside the house.  Thank you Molly for making us smile!  Ho Ho Ho!!

Love,

--Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Can you guess what city I'm in today, children? Well, here are some hints: it is the second largest city on the east coast and it is known as THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE. It's also in the state of Pennsylvania. There's a football team here called the Eagles and everyone here is very proud of them. Do you know what city it is? YES! It's Philadelphia. I heard they keep a big bell here called The Liberty Bell and I hope I have enough time to go visit it. I'll have to ask the Mayor to ring that bell on Christmas Eve to help lead me to the city so I won't forget delivering any presents to the nice boys and girls of Philadelphia.

Right now I'm in downtown Philly with DeDe. The leaves on the trees have turned beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. Some of the children have the day off from school and they're helping their parents shop for Thanksgiving. The air is crisp and the sky is a beautiful shade of blue. There's a street vendor near us selling brownies and DeDe wanders over and asks how much they are.

"Is the big guy Santa?" the vendor asks.
"Yes," whispers DeDe, "but let's keep it a secret."
"Butterscotch blondie brownies on the house," the vendor says, "compliments of Philadelphia Phil."

Philadelphia Phil gives DeDe a big bag of brownies and we both thank him and we each try one of the butterscotch blondies. Oh, my Gosh. YUMBO. Now this was worth coming to Philadelphia for!

More tomorrow,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

Last night I had a wonderful dinner at Gadsby's Tavern in Old Town Alexandria, in the state of Virginia. I topped the dinner off with fudge pie and whipped cream and DeDe my Elfette had Scottish Apple Gingerbread with Cinnamon Icing. YUM. Please don't tell Mrs. Claus I had dessert. That is really my only treat in a week and I've been jogging every morning so I'll be in shape to deliver you your presents on my Big Night.

This morning after my jog I flew the sled with my magical reindeer over the Pax River in the state of Maryland. Was that you I saw waving Chelsey? I'll bet it was! I looped back from the Pax River and landed at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. Right now I'm having an early lunch with DeDe at Crabby Carl's. Can you guess what we're having? It's something Baltimore is famous for. YES! Crab cakes. DeDe is munching away on a cake right now.

"These are totally far out delicious!" says DeDe.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather eat a shoe?" I ask her.
"Hardy har har," DeDe replies.

More later,

Love,

Santa

Hi boys and girls,

I have just finished brushing my teeth and am ready to go to bed.  But before I forget, I wanted to add a few more children on my Nice list, so I opened my laptop and there it was.  I got a drawing from Miranda to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  Look at the amazing Christmas tree with beautiful ornaments!  I always love to visit the houses with a gorgeous Christmas tree especially these days people have such interesting ornaments that I can't help checking them out. 

Ok.  It's time to go to bed now. Sweet dreams everyone. 

 

 

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

This email just came in on my laptop--Chelsey of Maryland wants me to fly over the Pax River! Let's see, according to my map, that's just a hop and a skip away. Chelsey, I may be heading your direction on Tuesday because I need to head up the east coast on my trek to Boston. If you want me to visit your city, let me know and I'll try to make it, especially if your on the east coast right now.

Right now, I'm in a park next to Old Town, in Alexandria, Virginia. DeDe my Elfette is tossing a green tennis ball to Gertie the Pug Dog. Gertie is a small squat little dog with a pug nose and a cute bark. I think Mrs. Claus might like a little dog like this. Gertie belongs to two wonderful children named Melissa and Ben. Melissa wants a Wii for Christmas and Ben wants an iPod. I just checked my Nice List on my laptop and it looks like both Melissa and Ben made the Nice List. You can make my Nice List too if you are especially nice to your parents today and, if you have brothers and sisters, if you're nice to them too.

"Look, Santa!" DeDe says and she tosses Gertie the old shoe she caught in Tennessee River. Gertie snaps the shoe out of mid-air and runs proudly with it in her mouth. Well, I guess that old shoe had a purpose after all.

More tomorrow from Virginia,

Love,

Santa

Hello everyone! Last year we almost had an accident when one of the elves almost got ran over when, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen were running around the yard. Then this morning, Mrs.Claus emailed me this news headline that reads Panda in China zoo bites student who wanted a hug!  So please be careful when approaching the animals. Keep in mind that animals are innocent and they are simply trying to protect themselves. Please always ask your parents before approaching animals.

Love,

o<|;^D

--Santa

Hi Boys & Girls,

Happy Saturday! Are you watching cartoons today? Well, I watch them too when I'm back at the North Pole. I really enjoy RECESS and some of the others.

You'll be glad to know DeDe refused to eat the shoe she caught even though I offered to fry it up for her in butter and serve it to her with eggs. We didn't catch any fish and I'm glad about that because I wouldn't want to hurt any of them with a hook before throwing them back in the water. DeDe told me she would have put her fish in a bowl and taken them back to Santa's Village where she'd put them in her Sponge Bob aquarium to make sure they were safe.

Right now we're flying in the sled in a northeasterly direction and the children in a 
park below are waving at me and calling my name. "Ho, Ho, Ho!" I call down. Can you guess what state I'm flying over now? Go to a map or a globe and check it out. Remember, I started in Tennessee and I'm heading northeast. YES! I'm over the state of Virginia. Sandy the reindeer is leading my team and I'm thinking about hitching her up to my sled on Christmas Eve. Do you think Rudolf would mind?

More tomorrow from Virginia,

Love,

Santa

Hi boys and girls,

I have just received this amazing drawing from Azhia via mail and wanted to share with everyone. I love the little details she added.  Look at the colorful houses with beautiful windows.  Oh thanks for adding the snowman too!  With this tricked sleigh, I can deliver gifts much faster than last year. Ho Ho Ho!

 

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

You know there's a lot to be said for fishing because it's very relaxing sitting here in the town of Chattanooga along the banks of the Tennessee River watching all the riverboats go by. It's a nice clear day and the sky is bright blue. There are some smaller boats too and the children are waving at me right now from a boat with a tiny engine. "You Rock, Santa!" the boy on board says and I wave back. Why, is that little Holden? Sure enough, I'd recognize Holden's smile anywhere. He sure has grown since I've seen him last.

I have a confession to make. I don't really want to catch any fish today. I mean, what if I catch one like that cute goldfish in THE CAT IN THE HAT? I guess if I do catch something I could just throw it back in the water. Okay, then that's what I'll do if I catch something. I hope DeDe tosses her fish back in to if she catches one. WOOP! Uh, oh, just now, DeDe's fishing pole is bending and she runs closer to the water to see what it is at the end of her line.

"Caught one!" DeDe says as she pulls and pulls and pulls.
"Will you throw the poor thing back?" I ask.
"No, no," says DeDe, "I'm going to fry it right up!"

DeDe keeps pulling and something's surfacing! And it seems to have a tongue and many many eyes. What is this strange creature from Chattanooga? It looks like...oh, my gosh. It's really...someone's old shoe!

"I'll find a pan so you can fry that right up," I tell DeDe.

More tomorrow,

xox

Santa

Happy Friday boys and girls!

I have just finished my little morning stretching routine and got this picture from Mason from Long Island, NY.  It's a great picture.  I am very proud of Mason who is just 5 years old and can draw this well!

 

Love,

Santa

Hi boys and girls,

Hannah sent me another drawing today to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. She is keeping herself busy like me, isn't she?  I love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's shiny red nose and cute little tail. Ho Ho Ho!

 

Love,

Santa

Hello there Boys & Girls,

I'm in the town of Chattanooga today and I'm fishing along the banks of the Tennessee River. A nice brother and sister named David and Kelly Joe gave me and DeDe fishing poles and we're all fishing and talking about how soon Christmas will be here. David and Kelly Joe just love stocking stuffers so I'll have to think of some fun things to put in their stockings on Christmas Eve. Do you like stocking stuffers too?

We haven't caught anything yet but it's a beautiful day out and the reindeer are grazing in a nearby meadow. I think I may be losing a little weight because I have cut way back on sweets and those football players at the University of Tennessee gave me quite a workout yesterday in their weight room. But I must admit, I did sneak a power bar or two when DeDe wasn't looking.

TOOT, TOOT, TOOT!

"What's that noise?" asks DeDe.

I look out into the middle of the river and see the Southern Belle Riverboat going by. What a beautiful boat. Why, if I'm not mistaken, that looks like that magical Menehune from Hawaii waving from the top deck! Do you think it's really him?

More tomorrow,

Love,

Santa

Hello Boys & Girls,

It is very nice and relaxing to see this beautiful drawing by Hannah, after the heavy weight training with DeDe. I see it is snowing in the city that Hannah lives. Thank you for the great work and keep yourself warm!

Love,

Santa  

Hello Boys and Girls,

I just finished my morning jog around the track at the University of Tennessee and now I'm heading over to the Weight Room with DeDe to do a little strength training. I'll be working out with some of the football players. I know my bag of Christmas presents will be extra heavy this year, so I'd better get in shape now so I can deliver everything on time. It's okay to leave me milk and cookies on my Big Night, that will give me the energy to visit the homes of nice girls and boys like you.

Yesterday I visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's a beautiful park and the reindeer had lots of fun playing hide-and-go-seek in the forest. DeDe and I met some wonderful children named Melissa, Tara, and Kyle--they showed us this spot called LOOK ROCK where we could see for miles and miles.

Right now it's starting to sprinkle as we make our way through campus and DeDe pops opens a giant red umbrella.

"What would I do without you?" I ask her.
"I don't know, Santa," DeDe answers, "I really don't know."

More from Tennessee tomorrow,

Love,

Santa

Hello Boys & Girls,

After all that exercise with DeDe the Elfette and the Tennessee cheerleading squad, I felt wonderful.  Right now I am sitting on the couch relaxing and treating myself with a hot chocolate while admiring Kelsey's beautiful drawing of me with reindeers.  I know that Kelsey was busy with her homework last week but she took time to draw such a great picture.  Thank you!  Keep up with your great work! 

 

Love,

Santa

Hello Boys and Girls,

Last night I headed east from Little Rock and crossed the border into the state of Tennessee. Right at this very moment I'm wearing my red sweats and red Nikes and I'm jogging around the track at the University of Tennessee, in the city of Knoxville. I've got to get in better shape for Christmas and I'm sweating up a storm.

DeDe the Elfette is dressed up as a cheerleader and she's waving poms poms. "Faster, Santa, faster!" she says as I circle the track. Then the entire University of Tennessee cheerleading squad shows up and starts cheering as I run around the far side of the track. I must admit, all that cheerleading does make me go faster. My red Nikes are kicking up dust as I head down the home stretch.

DeDe drops her pom poms and picks up a blow horn. "Give me an S-A-N-T-A!" she shouts through the blow horn and then, "What does it spell?"
"SANTA!" says the entire cheerleading squad.
"Give me a D-E-D-E!" DeDe demands and then, "What does it spell?"
"DEDE?" asks the cheerleading squad.

Guess they don't know much about DeDe down here in Knoxville.

More Later,

xox

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

After I finished a huge piece of coffee cake, I saw this drawing by Sophie. Thank you Sophie for making me look young and skinny!  Oh yes.  I was young and skinny before you know.  Now I should really lose some weight, shouldn't I?

 

 

Love,

Santa 

Hi Boys and Girls,

You would have been proud of me last night because when Harry the waiter at Anne's Kitchen came around and asked everyone what they wanted for dessert, I said I was full and that I didn't want any. Of course I could have had a dab of vanilla mousse or a small slice of huckleberry pie. And naturally DeDe the Elfette ordered not one but two pieces of creme de brulee cheesecake and kept talking about winning that Hootenanny Holler in Texas.

Right now I'm at Clinton's Cafe with DeDe. We're in the River Market district and I'm watching buses go by full of children heading off to school. I just polished off a huge hunk of Pullman coffee cake. Uh, oh, please don't tell Mrs. Claus I ate that, she wants me to lose some weight.

"You're not fat, Santa," DeDe tells me.
"Why thank you, DeDe," I say.
"You're just totally way out of shape," she decides.

Sometimes I think I should have left that elfette back at the North Pole.

More later,

xox

Santa

The answer is: The reindeers that drive my sleigh are Dasher, Dancer, Preancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen, and Rudolph. Now Rudolph is younger than the others though. There are other reindeer but they don't drive the sleigh unless one gets lazy or sick!

Greetings Boys and Girls,

Today I'm in Little Rock, Arkansas and my legs are tired from all that dancing at the Texas Hootenanny. Don't worry about me being too fat to deliver presents on Christmas Eve, I always start dieting the day after Thanksgiving. Mrs. Claus has been worried about me gobbling up too many treats but I usually plump up a bit in November because you don't want a skinny Santa now, do you?

It's foggy in Little Rock and I'm strolling along the banks of the Arkansas River. DeDe is running on ahead of me showing off the gold trophy she won in Texas to all the joggers. "I'm the champ!" DeDe says as she holds the trophy over her head and then shouts, "BOOM BOOM HUCKA HUCKA JAM!" Wow, that Elfette has quite a voice. I think DeDe's a bit of a show off, don't you think? A squirrel named Rupert gazes down from a tree and says, "Quit making a ruckus, DeDe!"

The city of Little Rock is built right along the river's banks and there's this fun River Market district chock full of shops and restaurants. DeDe and I have been invited to dine at Anne's Kitchen restaurant by the parents of two nice children we met downtown--Bill and Hillary. Oh, by the way, the reindeer are safe and sound--they're grazing on the grass in Little Rock Park and a nice boy named Mark is bringing them a bale of hay.

More tomorrow from Little Rock,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

It's time for the Hootenanny Hollering contest at Sandusky Barn in New Boston, Texas. Now this is a contest where you do a big whoop to show how excited you are that the holidays are finally here. It's not really a scream. Or even a yell. It's more like a happy shout. They're giving away a big gold trophy to the winner today! Do you think Santa has a chance?!

Aunt Mae waves her hand and Uncle Joe tells her to go ahead. "Yahoo-ey!" goes Aunt Mae. Everyone claps. Then all the people take turns hollering and shouting with happy voices. When it's my turn, I do a happy "Ho, Ho, Ho!" and Uncle Joe tells me I'm the winner! But just before he awards me the trophy, DeDe finishes eating her pecan pie and waves her hand.

"We have one more contestant," says Uncle Joe and then nods at DeDe. 
DeDe takes a deep breath and shouts, "BOOM BOOM HUCKA HUCKA JAM!"

Everyone at Sandusky Barn drops their jaws because they have never heard such a big voice on such a little person before. "We have a winner!" Uncle Joe announces. He grabs the gold trophy, hops off the stage, and hands it to DeDe.

Well, at least I got second place.

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

How was your week?  Rudolph was in a really good mood today because he found a gorgeous drawing of himself by Nicole.  He was smiling all day which made me smile too.  Please send us more drawings so we smile all the time!  Have a good weekend everyone!

 

--Santa

Hello Boys & Girls,

Right now I'm at the Sandusky Barn off Old Country Road in New Boston, Texas. I'm having the time of my life dancing with Aunt Mae at an old-fashioned Hootenanny! I'm doing my special North Pole Swing dance and Aunt Mae tells me I'm light on my feet. You know, this is probably a good way to get in shape for Christmas. After all, I have to be in good condition to come all the way from the North Pole to bring you your presents at Christmas.

DeDe's having some pecan pie with Jasper and the reindeer are grazing inside the barn on some fresh oats. There's a big table in the barn full of goodies like pies, cornbread, and holiday punch.

Do you know what a HOOTENANNY is? Well, it's this big party with dancing and a band with musicians playing banjos, fiddles, and even spoons and washboards. Why, there's Uncle Joe right now playing the spoons on stage by tapping them against one another and then against his knee. The whole town has come out for this big event, even Mayor Quigley. Then Uncle Joe holds up his hands, the band quits, and I thank Aunt Mae for the dance.

"It's time for the Hootenanny Holler!" Uncle Joe announces.

Now what in the world is that?

More later,

Love,

Santa

Hi Boys and Girls,

 

I am heading to Texas tomorrow and am almost done with my packing.

 the Elfette was telling me that she would go to bed very early tonight so she could wake up early tomorrow morning. Wait for my report from Texas.

 

Love,

 

--Santa

I'm having a breakfast of piping hot waffles smothered in apple butter and strawberry syrup. DeDe my elfette has used blueberry syrup on her waffles. "Yum!" says DeDe as she samples a piece. Now even though I'm very hungry and DeDe is too, we still have good table manners and take our time to cut our waffles and don't gobble them down right away. I notice that Michael and Jennifer at the next table over are eating slowly and also taking the time to talk to their parents. I think children should use breakfast, lunch, and dinner as times to really get to know their parents and talk about their day and what's on their minds. "Santa," says DeDe, "your waffles are getting cold!" OOPS! I'm going on and on and it's time to eat. I cut the corner of a waffle, use my fork to sink it in the strawberry syrup, and put it in my mouth. WOW. I think these waffles are as good as the ones Mrs. Claus makes, but don't tell her I said that, okay?

--Santa

Dear Boys and Girls,

I was so busy yesterday that I forgot to check my mails.  When I checked my mail box this afternoon, guess what I got?  Kaitlynn from Corpus Christi, Texas sent me a drawing of a beautiful christmas tree!  Don't you love it?

 

--Santa

Hello everybody! How was your day today? Today is a great day for me. I just found this amazing drawing by Kelsey. Great job with the blue sky and I love the Frosty! Let me know what you think...

Ho Ho Ho
--Santa

I am a jolly person with twinkling eyes and a deep laugh. I keep my white hair and beard long to help me keep warm in the Arctic cold. I travel extensively and make one trip around the world every year. My love of cookies and milk help me maintain my rotund figure. I love my job! HO HO HO!

This is Santa. A family of magic dolphins helped guide my outrigger canoe west of the North American continent and I'm still in the United States! Can you guess where I am?

Hint: the trade winds are blowing and the coconut trees are swaying back and forth like hula dancers. I see lots of surfers in the water and Myna Birds are squawking in the trees. The air is perfumed with the aroma of tropical flowers such as pikake and plumeria. That's right, I'm in Hawaii! RING RING! Well, that's my Christmas hotline and I have to answer. I wonder if it's my elves Zephyr and Zoe calling from the North Pole.

"Aloha!" I say.
"Santa Dude!" Zephyr says, "you've gotta score some puka shell necklaces for Christmas presents."
"Don't we have any puka shells in the North Pole?" I ask.
Zoe gets on the line. "Come on, Santa, we're already getting snow!"

Well, that's it for today, kids. Gotta go check out the beach for some shells. Aloha for now!

Hello everyone! How is your day going? Mine is going great as I am starting to see your 2008 drawings. This one if from my friend Giorgi. 

Giorgi is 13 and very talented don't you think? Great attention to details and I love the choice of your colors! I have to run and feed the Reindeers now. Can you guess what I am going to feed them?

 

 

Ho Ho Ho!

 

I am returning to North Pole today to pay a visit to the elves workshop. We have some great toys for the kids on my "Nice" list. The weather at the North should be cooling fast as we get closer to the Holidays. 49 days to go! Talk soon!

Ho Ho Ho!

 

Hello everyone. With 50 Days until Christmas, I decided to visit Ad-Tech in New Your City and made some friends along the way. I will be looking for some elves so send me a note if you are interested!

 

 

   

Hello Everybody! Wow, what an amazing Yule Feast we had! The whole event was a treat to behold -- the movies showing in the reindeer barn (I think "Elf" with Will Farrell was my favorite! Very accurate historical film!), Thessaly Tinselcom's huge snow slide, the great karaoke contest, and the food! As always, the food was off the hook. Mrs. Claus caught me in the kitchen last night enjoying one more helping of stuffing -- and I felt guilty until I realized she was having one more sliver of pie!

With everything cleaned up after the feast, it's time to take stock of how things went for Christmas 2007. We were lucky this year that so much that could have messed up Christmas (the malfunctioning Present Compressor, the whole Blitzen drama, the fact that the reindeer weren't sleeping for nearly a week) worked out so smoothly. We were lucky to have Bill, the penguin, here helping! He was a valuable asset to the team.

The elves, too, were spectacular this year. Snoop "Puppy" Dogg with his recycled wrapping paper, Thessaly's technologies, Candice and Canin from Candy Cane Ranch -- everybody did a great job! The elves are all on hiatus right now, enjoying a four-day nap. They worked hard and deserve a long luxurious break. (We'll wake them up for New Year's Eve.)

This moment every year -- Christmas over, New Year's about to happen, no real responsibilities -- is a special one for me. I figure I must be the luckiest guy in the universe, to have my job. I live in a beautiful place, have Mrs. Claus at my side, and am surrounded by well-intentioned, hard-working folks I love, with my only responsibility being to make millions of people happy once a year! It's a pretty sweet deal.

I was reading the other day about how top CEOs always expect astronomically high bonuses every year, and realized my bonus has always been a clear sense that I did a good job and made people smile. That, and a few thank-you cards, are all I need at the end of the year.

What are you doing New Year's Eve? Mrs. Claus and I are making plans to enjoy the Aurora Borealis -- the Northern Lights. I'll tell you about them soon!

Love,

Santa

Good Morning Everybody,

Well, it's Christmas morning, and I'm exhausted! But I'm in a great mood, tired but happy. Last night was crazy! We took off as scheduled, and flew around the whole world in one night! Even though I've done it for many years, I'm always amazed we can pull it off.

Everything went pretty smoothly, except in a couple of spots: Some time after midnight, high over China, I was feeling a little sleepy, and was rummaging around inside my magic bag for a dry pair of mittens when I accidentally dislodged a bowling ball! Aaaaggh!!Somehow, in the process of escaping from the bag and out of the sleigh, it automatically de-compressed (from the Present Compressor), and suddenly we had a fifteen-pound bowling ball plunging towards earth!

Like stunt pilots, the reindeer team immediately shot into action, swooping low and dropping quickly, aligning the Sled3000-GT with the falling ball to gently slip it effortlessly back into the bag. Whew! What a save! Needless to say I was WIDE AWAKE after that!

The only other incident was on a roof in Albany, California, where some folks had mounted SO many holiday inflatables (one was of me and the reindeer, plus a snowman, a tin soldier, a snow globe and a Christmas tree) where one of the reindeer (I think it was Dancer) accidentally popped the snowman with her hoof! POP! Luckily, I had an extra set in the bag, too, so we quickly inflated another snowman and tied him to the roof as best we could before taking off again.

Everything else went off without a hitch, though, and I got to bed just as the sun was coming up. But then, about an hour ago, Mrs. Claus woke me up with a plate of scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee, and I thought I'd write a quick post before going back to bed for a couple more hours. Ahhhhhh.... It feels good to have another Christmas delivered safe and sound.

Hope each one of you has a wonderful day, and dinner, and remember how much I love every one of you!

Ho, ho, ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

Love,

Santa

Well hello there, boys and girls! This is Mrs. Claus again, "blogging" to you one more time on Christmas Eve. Mr. Claus and the reindeer have just taken off for their Flight Night deliveries, and I thought I'd take a few moments to give you the details of his send-off, and wish each one of you a wonderful, warm, Merry Christmas.

Their departure was very special. All the elves who were still awake, and all the animals who help us here at the North Pole, all gathered around to watch. Mr. Bonderaunt, Ms. Tinselcom, as well as our delightful little penguin friend from the South Pole, Bill, all watched as Mr. Instubble harnessed the reindeer to the sleigh, then festooned them with lovely bells and holly sprigs. Rudolph took his place at the front, where his very shiny nose shone like a crimson comet. Then Mr. Claus climbed inside, checked his instruments, and with a thumb's-up to Mr. Bonderaunt and a wink at me, he shouted his command, the same thing he calls out every year:

Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen!

On Comet! On Cupid! On Donder and Blitzen!

From the top of the world to the kids large and small,

Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!

And with that the ten of them lifted slowly up and into the gathering night. It was truly lovely. It always brings tears to my eyes to see my beloved Mr. Claus doing the single thing in the world that makes him the happiest. I'm so proud of him, and filled with delight every Christmas that he can make so many people, young and old, so happy.

It's been such a special year for us, with so many adventures. I heard from Cupid before they departed that she placed the tiny alpaca hat I knitted for the mysterious Mr. Mipps in the secret place by the barn, and that when she looked again later, it had been received. This is wonderful, since it means the little mouse won't have cold ears on Christmas Day.

I'm going to finish my cocoa and head off to bed now, while Mr. Claus is at work. But I'll be thinking of each one of you, and hoping your Christmas is as special as each one of you are. Mr. Claus and I love you all so dearly!

Merry, merry Christmas.

Love and Kisses,

Mrs. Claus

Hello, Everybody!! It's here! Christmas Eve is finally here! I can't believe it! Every year I always wonder if I'll get this excited again, and every year I always do! The sleigh-loading is complete, the Present Compressor put away, the reindeer rested up, and we're ready to roll!

In a word, the Sled3000-GT looks awesome. It's completely maxed out, with my bag taking up every available inch of space. Rob Ronderbaunt is so proud -- he's been tinkering and tightening and tuning it up for weeks now!

I got some last-minute letters from a couple of you, worried that with the crazy snowy weather happening in certain parts of the world right now, we might not be able to fly. Well, I appreciate your concerns, and I've been monitoring the skies from our own station here at the Pole, and I can tell you, I've flown in weather much, much worse than this! I've flown in blizzards so blinding I could barely see the reindeer butts in front of my face! So don't worry!

o<|;^D

For the parts of the world that aren't snowy, I'm overjoyed to be flying with a moon that's one day past full! It'll make navigation and landing on rooftops much easier.

Here at the Pole, now that all the toy-making and wrapping and loading is done, the elves are exhausted! Right now they're lying around like slugs, curled up by the fire or sleeping on benches and tables in the workshop. You remember elves can sleep for weeks, right? So we may have to gently wake them up for the Yule Feast, which happens the day after Christmas and goes on for three days. It's like Thanksgiving, only bigger, and we get the chance to exchange presents with each other, the reindeer can eat whatever they want, and everyone has fun!

But that's in a couple of days. Right now I gotta get a move on -- I have a job to do. A BIG job.

Since I won't see you all tonight in person (you'll be sleeping!), let me be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas! Tonight is what I live for! I'm so excited! Let's get this snowy show on the road!!

HO HO HO!! Meeeerrrrrryy Chriiiiisssssssstmas!!

Love,

Santa