Dear Santa...

Every year our kids "write" a letter to Santa and since we are from a very small town, the newspaper publishes all the local children's letters in a special edition of the newspaper. This year, since even Santa is turning techy, he decided to receive letters via e-mail so that he could answer all the boys and girls letters individually. Being that our kids are used to technology they did not find it weird at all that Santa emailed them. So here is each of their letters they "wrote" (aka, told Momma) as well as Santa's reply.

Santa,
I scared of you. I want spiderman. I love spiderman.
Love, Caleb Hargis, age 2


Caleb,
I hear you have been a very good boy this year!...I'm sure we can come up with a spiderman for you. Be a good boy and I will see you on Christmas. Don't forget the milk and cookies!
Love,
Santa

Dear Santa,
The elf you gave us ate your cookies. Can you bring me a pink piggy pillow pet, the small one? Thank you for our elf, we named him Co-Co Buffy. Thank you for getting us presents. Also I love you. I'll be brave if I see you again and not be scared.
Love,
Laney Kay Hargis, age 4

Dear Laney,
That elf is a stinker! I have it on my list that you have been a very good girl this year. I hope you will sit on my lap next time I see you, but if you don't want to, I understand. Mrs. Claus said you are a very sweet girl. I love you too!
Santa


There are so many things about the small town life that I love. One being how everyone is connected. While it does have its' downfalls (everyone knows everyone's business) I think the good outweighs the bad. For example, yesterday Laney saw Santa and Mrs. Claus at her school. She is still afraid of Santa but she fell in love with Mrs. Claus. Mrs. Claus was kind enough to act as a go between with Santa and fill him in on what Laney would like for Christmas this year. Well, one of Laney's classmates just so happens to have a grandmother who was at school when this happened yesterday and witnessed Laney's reaction to Santa. This same grandmother also is Santa's right hand letter answerer at the local newspaper, where I also work. So everything Santa wrote back to Laney only made her more convinced Santa really wrote her. She laughed till her face was pink when I read her the letter and then she informed me that next time she saw Santa she would sit on his lap and even give him a kiss on his fluffy beard. When I read Caleb's letter to him he looked at me, nodded and continued on with little reaction (I'm thinking next year he will be a little more understanding of all the Santa hype). Here are a few pictures of the kids with Santa from a few weeks ago at Wal-Mart. I did not know we would be running into Santa that day, or having our pictures made or we would have dressed a bit better for the occasion. And these pictures were taken at Wal-Mart and the prints were free and had to be scanned in so they are not the best quality, but never-the-less, I thought they were cute.

Caleb, not wanting to sit on his lap, but overall pretty cool about Santa, even sharing his wish-list..."I want (pause, sigh, think) Spiderman". He did tell everyone for a few days he saw Santa but he told them "Him scared me", even though he didn't act like it that day.

Laney getting as close as she dared, shortly before she began crying (not screaming, just quietly crying) and telling us "I just am not sure about him, I don't know that much about him and he isn't very fat". To which we quickly reassured her that his cookie intake had gotten low since last Christmas but he would be putting on his extra holiday weight soon! (won't we all?!)