It’s that time of year again – the time I look forward to with a smile of anticipation and a gleam in my eye. The time when the newspaper prints children’s letters to Santa.
Oh, my word, how I love those letters.
This year the letters (all from first graders) seemed less greedy than in previous years, which is nice. I recall one wee girl last year who wanted a diamond ring. (Don’t we all, honey.) My older kids and I love reading these letters out loud though our youngest child – whose letter is amongst the ones printed this year – doesn’t understand the humor we find in her classmates epistles.
I decided to give you a few excerpts from this year’s batch of letters, with my daughter’s full letter at the end…and a “just for the record” explanation of her wishes!
Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl. How is Mrs. Claus? Do you sing Christmas songs in the sleigh? I hope you like our cookies…
Dear Santa, Do you like ice?
Dear Santa, Can I pet your reindeer?
Dear Santa, How are the elves? I love you Santa.
Dear Santa, Thank you for our gifts. Is it fun to ride in a sleigh? Please bring me a puppy. Thank you, Santa.
Dear Santa, When are you coming?
Dear Santa, I have been thankful for [my brother] because I like him.
Dear Santa, I help my mom set the table.
Dear Santa, I have said kind words to my sister and my parents.
Dear Santa, I want to help the world. Please can I have playdoh. Thank you.
Dear Santa, Sometimes my room gets messed up, but then I clean it up.
Dear Santa, Do you get presents for Christmas?
Dear Santa, Am I on the good list?
Dear Santa, I want walkie-talkies please…for my sister I want chapstick. For my baby brother, I want him to have
toys…for my dad, he wants a car…
Dear Santa, I think I want a new dog.
Dear Santa, I think I was a good girl.
Dear Santa, Will you please bring me socks?
Dear Santa, What do you do all year long? How often do the elves go to the dentist?
Dear Santa, I want…a REAL race car, the one that uses gas.
And finally, my favorite letter: Which, interestingly, is not signed “love” or even “your friend” as most of the letters were…but simply signed with her name.
Dear Santa, My name is Lucy. This year I have been quite good. What I would MOST like for Christmas this year is an iPad because my family has one but I don’t. If your elves are not too busy I would also like an iPod. I promise to leave you some chocolate milk and cookies on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas! Lucy.
The photo says it all.
I am not entirely sure what to make of this letter, but one thing is for sure, she belongs to a tech-savvy family, can you tell? Please hear me, however, when I say that her entire family does NOT have iPads! I do not, and the only reason that her brother and sister do is because they have them through school and when summer comes and they have to turn them in they will go bonkers. My husband does have one, but it’s through work. I just feel the need to explain all of that! Also, I’m certain that the reason she wants an iPod is because she loves music and has been walking around with an ancient walkman CD player which breaks its volume control every time she drops it…which is fairly frequently.
I told Lucy, as gently as I could, that Santa wasn’t likely to bring her those things. She didn’t look me in the eye when she replied, but she said cheerfully enough, “I know. It’s you and Daddy who bring the presents, anyway.” She walked away, and I was left feeling slightly bad and slightly glad and slightly confused about what I ought to be feeling.
It’s hard to compete with Santa.
Here’s my letter to the Jolly Old Elf:
Dear Santa, Please give me the gift of time…and the wisdom to know how to use it.
Sincerely, Gretchen
Making the mundane entertaining.
A fine day for an epiphany 
My Vince still believes, but has begun to question the logistics of delivery. The big relief with her knowing, as you know, is that they are more understanding. So, in the end, what will Lucy get for Christmas?
Belief in Santa is so tricky…I love it…but I never wanted to face the moment of realization on my kids faces. As for gifts…no iPad or pods for her!
“How often do the elves go to the dentist?” I wonder where that one’s coming from?
You have one smart daughter.
I wondered if it was inspired by the Rudolf movie, in which an elf wants to be a dentist…not sure, but maybe?!!
Wasn’t there an elf who wanted to be a dentist in one of the Christmas specials (like Rudolph, maybe)? Anyway, love the photo. Christmas without the words of kids would be very bleak indeed.
Yes, that’s exactly what I wonder – if that movie (yes, Rudolf) inspired that question! With kids, you never know, though, do you?!!
Sigh…….children these days seem to sound like mini-adults and their desires more in line with same. Whatever happened to the dolls, matchbox cars and model trains of old??? We are all the poorer for this. Sadly, having an “attitude of gratitude” has been lost among many of the adults and the little eyes watching have picked this up. I don’t really mean to cast a shadow over this glorious celebration of Christ’s birth, merely an observation of the days in which we live. Hugs……
There were a few requests for dolls, but nope, no trains or matchbox cars that I saw. I wasn’t too impressed by my daughter’s list…but yes, I guess she’s just reflecting what she sees around her.
Yes, these are very different days……..
I think I would second your letter to Santa. Thanks for sharing – our Letters to Santa days are sadly a relic of the past. Funny most of the kids’ letters you shared are a combination of modest gift requests and sucking up.
Yes! Exactly. I have a feeling that their teachers told them to not just dive into the “gimme’s”…and that’s why they commented on other things. One of the schools in the paper didn’t do that because every single one of those letters just dove into the “gimme” list – it felt even more greedy – so I guess maybe a little conversation beforehand was maybe good?!
Those letters are gorgeous and it’s so lovely that they’re all printed in the paper. That doesn’t happen here. My little guy is also asking for an i-pad. We’re not giving him one either! Even though, ‘but all my friends have one’. Because we all know that’s not true. The photo is gorgeous and I love your daughter’s tights xx
Thanks, Charlie! Yes, there are some things that kids can wait for…hard as it may be! 🙂 Merry Christmas to you!
I love these letters! And yes.. the gift of time, we have been watching old Christmas videos and I can’t believe how the years have flown! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!! xx
And to you as well, Smidge!