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,

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