Well, the Santa suits, hats, belts, boots and extras are all packed away in the storage unit for their long summer nap! Up to 9 different suits now and each has its own characteristics, some need more padding, some are cooler for use in warm weather, some are for special use only! And since all is put away it is time to do the this year's last entry for Santa's diary.
December 24, 2013
It was the day before Christmas and all through the website, everyone was stirring! It was my last day on the Hello Santa line and it looked to be a very busy day. This was a very accurate prediction because, during my 5 hours online I had 79 calls, which meant I talked with 170+ children in that time! This total included 12 from Great Britain and one each from Anchorage, AL, ...Canada, Puerto Rico, Northern Ireland, and Germany! Didn't really have any problems understanding any of the children.
X-Boxes were a favorite request worldwide, and Santa did have one little girl who wanted a football, and it was not a soccer ball she was talking about!
The typical reaction that happens when the system connects is, "He's real!" Most of the children will talk to Santa and we end up having a conversation about being good and how they need to help their Mom because it is a real busy time for her. And some still can't come up with what they want so we usually decide that surprises are nice also. Then I tell them that I will see them, AFTER they are asleep!
The one thing I have missed is the tactile part of being with the children, because this Santa loves a good hug! I did get my fix last Friday night at the Elizabethan Gardens, I volunteered to serve hot chocolate during one night of their light show, as long as I could wear my Santa hat! So my uniform was that hat, red sweater and black pants. Now remember it was two days after Christmas but there were at least a dozen children that were convinced they got their hot chocolate from Santa! An ol' Santa would get his hug! My favorite was the two little twin girls, hardly more than toddlers, dressed in white parkas! As soon as they came in the door, one shouted, "SANTA!" and ran as fast as her little legs would go to give me a hug! So I bent down and picked one up in each arm and let Mom take all the pictures she wanted! How can you not love this job!
It was the day before Christmas and all through the website, everyone was stirring! It was my last day on the Hello Santa line and it looked to be a very busy day. This was a very accurate prediction because, during my 5 hours online I had 79 calls, which meant I talked with 170+ children in that time! This total included 12 from Great Britain and one each from Anchorage, AL, ...Canada, Puerto Rico, Northern Ireland, and Germany! Didn't really have any problems understanding any of the children.
X-Boxes were a favorite request worldwide, and Santa did have one little girl who wanted a football, and it was not a soccer ball she was talking about!
The typical reaction that happens when the system connects is, "He's real!" Most of the children will talk to Santa and we end up having a conversation about being good and how they need to help their Mom because it is a real busy time for her. And some still can't come up with what they want so we usually decide that surprises are nice also. Then I tell them that I will see them, AFTER they are asleep!
The one thing I have missed is the tactile part of being with the children, because this Santa loves a good hug! I did get my fix last Friday night at the Elizabethan Gardens, I volunteered to serve hot chocolate during one night of their light show, as long as I could wear my Santa hat! So my uniform was that hat, red sweater and black pants. Now remember it was two days after Christmas but there were at least a dozen children that were convinced they got their hot chocolate from Santa! An ol' Santa would get his hug! My favorite was the two little twin girls, hardly more than toddlers, dressed in white parkas! As soon as they came in the door, one shouted, "SANTA!" and ran as fast as her little legs would go to give me a hug! So I bent down and picked one up in each arm and let Mom take all the pictures she wanted! How can you not love this job!
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