Merry, Merry, Merriest Ever Christmas! Mrs. Claus here! I thought I would write in Santa’s Blog to let you all know that Santa and the Reindeer made it home safely. Santa is tucked snuggly in bed and I can hear him snoring softly. Every once in a while he mutters something in his sleep...I finally figured it out that he is saying “Merry Christmas” in different languages! There were 3 that I could recognize: Joyeux Noel (French), Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian), and Glaedelig Jul (Danish)...each followed by a chuckle...a happy, muffled ho! ho! ho! When he got home he was tired, but, ooh, what a wonderful time he had...His eyes were just twinkling! I can’t wait to hear more about his trip! He did say that Erin in Ireland tiptoed out of her room and saw him. They shared the cookies and milk that she left out for him and chatted awhile. But, of course, Erin won’t remember a thing! She will think it was just a dream! Elf Elliot sent me a text message letting me know the Reindeer were sleeping, too (RWASS..Reindeer Warm And Sleeping Soundly). So, the day will pass and Santa will rest. He will be ready to chat on the phone on the 26th and say thanks for all the cookies and milk set out for him...and for the food and water for the Reindeer, too. Oh....I almost forgot! He gave me my favorite perfume for Christmas....even made it by himself! I can’t believe he found the lost recipe for it! There is never a dull moment with Santa around! He is quite a guy! I just heard him laughing in his sleep again! He really must have had fun last night! jjfn, Mrs. Claus  More...

Jimminy Snickers, Leapin’Lollipops, and Merry Morning to everyone! This is the BIG DAY! My favorite day! The jingle bells on the harnesses are all polished and shiny. Elf Krissy and Elf Jody have the warmers for my sleigh cushion ready to go again this year. The reindeer were fed an extra serving of oats and carrots this morning. Mrs. Claus has my favorite cookies baking in the oven...getting ready for my snack pack for tonight’s adventure. Rudolph’s nose is shining even brighter than ever this year. Quality control has checked each and every toy. Last minute details are getting checked off the “TO DO” list as I write. Speaking of lists...I have a very long list of names on my NICE LIST this year! That means there will be even MORE TOYS on my sleigh this Christmas Eve! Jumping Jingle Bells, I am SO proud of the children around the world! So proud!

Ooh...I hear Mrs. Claus calling me! She has made me an extra hearty breakfast! After I eat, I’ll go check out the sleigh, take fresh cookies to my ever-so-busy Elves, and then take a quick power nap...maybe 20 winks or so...I am so excited I probably won’t be able to catch any Z-Z-Z’s. Mrs. Claus will wake me up when she receives the text message TSIP (The Sleigh Is Packed) from the Elves. The excitement just builds from there! Don’t forget to watch my departure at 12:00 PM (lunch time!). Oh, my Golly! I hope I’ll get to talk to you the day after Christmas! Gotta go for now! Breakfast smells so yummy and I am so hungry! (I will still have lots of room for all your cookies! Please and thank you!) Love to all...and Merry Christmas! HO! HO! HO!

P.S. I am going to give Mrs. Claus her perfume at breakfast! She has no clue what her present is! I hung some mistletoe above her chair! I wonder if she noticed it! More...

Just wanted to let you all know that EVERYTHING is back to normal! Thanks to little Elf Merrimint! I was out in our back yard filling up my bird feeders when I noticed a little red-headed Elf swinging on our old tire swing. Her cheeks were quite rosy, so I knew she had been there awhile! When she saw me, she leaped off the swing at the highest arc and came running to me! I knew in a minute it was Elf Merrimint, Elf Sebastian’s youngest grandchild.

“Santa! Santa!” she claimed as she wiggled out of a snow drift! She was right in front of me, quick as a flash, staring up at me with her bright giggling grin; her eyes how they twinkled! I knew right away what she was staring at! “It’s true”, she said, “your beard IS kinda purple in spots!”

”I know....I have tried everything and I might just have to look kind of silly on Christmas Eve”, I told her.

Elf Merrimint tilted her head one way and then the other way. “You tried EVERYTHING?” she asked, “EVERYTHING?”
Then I asked her if she knew what I could use to take the purple out of my beard. Without even blinking, she said with total confidence, “Put some snow on it!”

So, I bent over and she and I rubbed snow on my beard and to my amazement, the purple spots and streaks from the mulberry juice totally vanished lickity split! Elf Merrimint and I jumped up and down with excitement!

Why didn’t I think of using snow! There is a simple magic to the wisdom of young hearts at Christmas! And there is magic in simple things at Christmas Time! Elf Merrimint knew. So now I have my snowy white beard back, and everything is ready....well, almost ready...we have one more day...(whew!) and we will load the sleigh and be on our way! I hope you will track me on Christmas Eve! I can’t wait to come to your house! More...

Hello my dear friends! Mrs. Claus and I went “walking in the winter wonderland” yesterday morning! We actually sang that song as we walked to the Reindeer Barn. That song is still stuck in my brain this morning! “Sleigh bells ring...are you listening...in the lane...the snow is glistening...la la la la....” Bet you will be singing that song now, too! Ho! Ho! Ho!

Anyway, we went to check on that little mouse family that we found snuggled in the toy bag the other day. (Remember? We put them in an old ornament box and moved them to Rudolph’s stall.) Rudolph has indeed taken very good care of them and has kept them company. In fact, the mouse family and Rudolph have become good friends. The mice were to shy and startled to tell us their names when we first found them in the toy bag, but yesterday, they proudly stepped out of their “new home” as Rudolph introduced them to us! “Santa and Mrs. Claus,” Rudolph announced, “I am happy to introduce you to Otto and Ima Squeak and their little Squeaks....this is Willy Squeak, and Lotta Squeak, and Toots Squeak, and Kenny Squeak, and Noah Squeak, and tiny baby Pip Squeak!” Mrs. Claus brought along a surprise for them...some cheese and cookie crumbs. It was so nice to see them safe, warm and happy in the old ornament box...tucked securely in Rudolph’s stall!

Now back to my phones quick as a dash! Can’t wait to talk to you! I would sure like to tell everyone thanks for the great cookies and hot cocoa treats when I stop by to deliver all the presents! Check it out and maybe we can chat again on the day after Christmas!! Ho! Ho! Ho! Oops...I gotta stay cool like the Elves....I should sign off with hhhfn! More...

My! Oh, My! and Jimminy Snickers! It’s a great day here in the North Pole....the prettiest huge snowflakes are falling! Wish you all could see how they sprkle! Please forgive any misspelled words! I’m dipping a chocolate covered candy cane into my cup of hot cocoa. This makes for very gooey fingers and my fingers have been sticking to some of my laptop keys! I will have to wash of both my fingers and the keys when I am done here! Ho! Ho! Ho! Can you keep a secret? I have finished making one of my presents for Mrs. Claus. I made her some of her favorite perfume!!!! Three years ago we thought we lost the recipe for the perfume. But I found it in an old copy of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” yesterday and got busy right away making several bottles of it. I mix together a little of this and a little of that, and add some sugar cookie crumbs, baby powder, cinnamon, ginger, peppermint, fresh snow, cocoa powder, and just a splash of rose water ©. The perfume is called, “Merry”©. (ingredient amounts must be kept secret). She has worn that scent for centuries. It’s perfect! She will be so delighted and surprised!! Sh-h-h-h-h! Help me keep my secret! I will have Elf Ivy keep the perfume safe and sound for me until Christmas Eve. Now where shall I hide this secret recipe? I don’t want to lose it again! I can’t wait to talk to yu on the phome...oops....better go wash off my sticky hands! More...

Hellooooo everyone! I just got done polishing my boots! I was in the reindeer barn and stepped in some....well...you know what is in reindeer barns! Ho-Ho-Ho!!! I told you earlier that Mrs. Claus repaired a small tear in the bottom of my toy bag. Well, she thought it was heavier than usual so she started searching it for the cause. She heard tiny little squeaking noises, too. She was surprised to find the cutest little family of Christmas mice settled into one of the corners of the bag! She surprised them as much as they surprised her! She called me over to see them...if they weren’t the cutest little mice! Mama and Papa were dressed in green, and the 5 tiny ones dressed in candy cane striped pajamas!!! Oh, and there was a very tiny one in diapers with a red bow on it’s head! Well, Mrs. Claus told them that she knew it must be very warm in Santa’s toy bag, but they just couldn’t stay there! It is much too cold here in the North Pole to just put them outside, so Mrs. Claus and I carefully took them to the corner of Rudolph’s stall. We had an old ornament box that we fixed up for their home. Rudolph said he would keep them safe! Mama and Papa Mouse were very pleased, and the little ones (except the baby who fell asleep) gave us high 5’s. Other than that, Mrs. Claus, the Elves, and I are excited to see the long list of phone calls that are scheduled already these last few days before Christmas! I can’t wait to talk to you! Remember to check out my arrival calls! You can find out exactly where I am on Christmas Eve...some crazy things happen on my journey to your house! I can tell you all about my adventures on the way to your chimney!! Jumping jingle bells, it is already lunch time for the reindeer!!! More...

Jolly Jingles! Elf Mitsy has my new Santa Suit finished! She is bringing it over for final fitting tomorrow! Mrs Claus has ordered some new red and green striped socks for me. I should be all set and ready to go!! My beard still has some purple spots and streaks on it, but the stains are getting lighter! I don’t have much time before Christmas Eve...jimminey snickers, I sure hope my beard is snowy white by then! Note to self: remember to NEVER wipe hands on beard when picking mulberries! We found a tiny hole in the bottom of the toy bag. Mrs. Claus repaired it with golden thread and double stitched it. No mishaps are needed on Christmas Eve! Second note to self: make another batch of Mrs. Claus’s favorite perfume...good idea for her gift. Are you thinking of fun gifts for your family and friends? How much fun would it be to get a phone call from Santa!!!!  More...

Ho! Ho! Ho! I stopped by the Reindeer Barn early this morning...so early that I decided to feed the reindeer while I was there. The Reindeer were in a goofy mood considering that the sun wasn’t even up yet! They were telling knock-knock jokes, acting like they had the hiccups, and teasing me about the purple tint to my beard!! It must have been strange sight when Elf Elliot (the Elf in Charge of the Reindeer Barn) opened the barn door to such a ruckus! Elf Elliot had such a shocked look on his face! He thought he had overslept and was in big trouble since I had already fed the reindeer (his job!). I quickly assured him that I decided to feed the reindeer while I was visiting them so early! Of course, Dasher kept telling him that it was already noon and they were starving! Before long, Elf Elliot was telling jokes, too! He really got Dasher on this one: Elliot: Knock-Knock Dasher: Who’s there? Elliot: Little Old Lady Dasher: Little Old Lady Who? Elliot: I didn’t know you could yodel!!!  More...

Elf Annie just brought me a candy cane chip double chocolate frosted brownie....fresh out of the oven! Jumping Jingle Bells! It gets my vote for the upcoming Christmas Goodie Bake-Off Contest! I checked my Nice List today and I am so proud of all of you! My oh my...everyone is trying their hardest to do their chores without grumbling and saying “please” and “thank you”....and I have noticed quite an increase in sharing! Way to go....Ho-Ho-Ho! Santa is very happy! It has been such fun talking on the phone to so many of you, my dear little ones! I will be calling more of you very soon! The North Pole was busy with laughter and fun times this past weekend. The Elves at the toy factory had a Family Festival. One of the activities was a Scavenger Hunt. The doorbell was busy at the Claus house! Mrs. Claus and I had fun digging through desk drawers, cupboards, and closets trying to find the items on the Scavenger List. I’ll bet the reindeer barn and the homes of Elf Valley were buzzing with activity as the family teams scurried to be the first to find all the items. Here is the list of items for the Scavenger Hunt.....how many can you find: 3 strands of tinsel a holly berry a candy cane Santa’s autograph a red sock 1 of Mrs. Claus’s cookies a rubber band a Christmas card an old ornament a Christmas gift tag a piece of coal a green paper clip a pinch of cookie sprinkles a Christmas napkin peanut brittle a piece of hay a jingle bell some mistletoe a cup of snow a piece of ribbon a snip of a Christmas tree a picture of Santa a piece of Christmas wrapping paper  More...

Leaping Lollipops! I sure got a scare when I visited the Reindeer this morning! About 6 feet out side of the entrance to the barn, I saw something red partially buried in a snowdrift. As I got closer, it appeared to be round...about the size of a golf ball. It was not shiny, but rather a dull red, round thing...just there...stuck in the snow. My heart sank. My heart dropped like a thud down into my boots! “Oh no,” I thought, “had Rudolph’s red nose fallen off when he took his morning run?” It is soooo cold up here, I wondered if it just froze and chipped off his face! I flung the barn door open, ready to run to Rudolph to see if he was OK. As I did, I heard all the other Reindeer laughing...and of course I worried that they were laughing at Rudolph again. Then, as I stepped inside, I too started laughing! I saw Rudolph laughing, too! There at the far end of the barn was a giggle of Elves ( a group of Elves is called a giggle) dressed up as clowns. Dixen whispered to me that the North Pole High School Music Department was giving a rehearsal performance of their Christmas show. They were all dressed as clowns. Everyone of them, except for one, had a funny clown nose on! They sang and danced, did tricks and cart wheels! When the Elves saw me, they begged me to be a clown, too! “Why not!” I chuckled, “I know right where I can get a clown nose!” And so it was...a happy morning after all! Ho! Ho! Ho! More...