Cheers!

Several of you have been asking who my favorite elf is, which is difficult to answer since so many of them are so loveable in many ways. But let me tell you about a few who are special to me.

You already know about Snoop "Puppy" Dog, who runs the wrapping department, and Stan Levertink, whom we call Gizmo, who oversees the toy factory. I've told you about Thessaly Tinselcom, our chief researcher, who develops new toys. She's awesome!

But there's also Harriet and Stella Berrybloom, a sweet old pair of sisters who between the two of them keep the kitchens running, and Jack Snack, the world's fastest dishwasher. They are an amazing team!

Bluebeard is a crusty old elf, very tall and very skinny, who maintains all the buildings and machinery here at the Pole. He can squeeeeeeeeeeze into the tightest spaces -- I saw him the other day snaking his arm deep inside a wall to fix a leaky pipe!

Some elves are well-known for certain characteristics. I already mentioned Kevin, the tiny elf with a HUGE appetite; Sally Ann is famous because she has bright red hair that grows so fast she needs a haircut every single day; Ingmar and Katharina are twin elves with three extra fingers apiece, which makes them essential in the nuts-and-bolts-sorting department. They are also very funny.

Spooky is a very shy elf who, although he is kind and charming and has a great smile, has never said one word to anyone as long as I've known him.

Colette is an amazing greenhouse gardener who is also a great source for corny jokes. The other day she told me this one: If Santa rides around in a sleigh, what do elves ride around in?

I told her I gave up.

Mini-vans!

Ho, ho, ho! Man, those kind of jokes sleigh me!

o<|;^D

A couple things to know about elves. First, they live VERY long -- several generations of human lives -- and many at the North Pole have worked here nearly as long as I have.

Second, they live "lives of service," which doesn't mean slavery, but rather that their mission in life is to help others. (In that way, they're like teachers or firefighters -- anyone committed to helping other people.)

I can't say who my favorite is. It's impossible. All I know is there are hundreds of elves here, and without every single one of them, Christmas couldn't happen. I'd be stuck!

Okay, talk to you more soon!

Love,

Santa