Santa Claus question ...

Was it the Pump?

 

One of my Christmas memories was getting a couple of those Mattel handheld games. Mine had batteries in them already. My folks told me it must have been because Santa had been playing with the game and forgot to take the batteries out. I was already aware that my folks were Santa. I guess they played with the games ahead of time so that there wasn't a repeat of the infamous slot car race set incident.
Christmas gift my folks really regretted getting me:

 

No. Waaaaaaayyyyyyy before the pump.

 

My daughter is eleven and still believes. The other day I read her letter to Santa. Here it is:

Dear Santa,

How are things. How's Mrs. Claus? You gettin' ready for the Big Night (12/24/07)? Please remember to visit my cousin A... in Pennsylvania, and also note that my good friends J... and N... will be in Florida Christmas Eve. I will still be at ....

I think I have been pretty good this year, all things considered. There are two things I would mind having and they are the following:

An Ouija Board and/or a portable DVD player.

If I can only have one please put the portable DVD player first. The Ouiji board is cool but as you know I am an only child with few friends and seances will be difficult. I'm not saying I don't want the Ouiji Board but if it comes to a contest the portable DVD player comes first.

I know you are busy but if you have time you may look at the back of this where there is a list of the good things I've done.

GOOD THINGS I AM DOING

1. Singing Christmas songs at the senior center.
2. Not arguing with B... even when she drives me crazy.
3. Been relatively patient with J... and N... (younger neighbor boys)
4. Not told a lie in a month.

Bye Bye for now,

S....

[Now here is where I tear up]

PS: Santa, maybe you could consider a new girl in my class who is just like me and we could be best friends?

 

I caught my parents putting presents under the tree on Christmas Eve when I was 7. So I kinda put two and two together.

 

That was very touching, In Exile. Thank you for sharing.

My Little Man wrote his first letter to Santa and since his mommy works at the Post Office, he made her promise to deliver it directly to Santa since he REALLY wants that talking parrot.

 

My oldest sister, six years my senior, and I used to take my brother's -- six years my junior -- letters to Santa and tell him we've deliver them the next time we were out. We'd take them, read them, laugh at them, then do something nice. My sister and I would write a response -- she'd write due to me scripting like I've never really learned how -- and I'd burn the letter a bit, to make it look authentic.

I don't know how singeing the edges of the letter made Santa's letter look more real, but we certainly thought it did back in the early 90s. Anyway, my brother ate it up and hung onto the letters until Christmas. It was the one nice thing I did for the fuck all year.