Restoring Kingdom Builders

How would you like to have Santa Claus sitting in your living room for two hours?

That’s what happened at our house last night … and I was the one who played Santa.

I agreed to be Santa for a party my wife Kim was having for her preschool children and their families.

But playing Santa isn’t as easy as it sounds.  There are so many decisions to make:

First, where do you buy a Santa suit?

Amazon has scores of them … in all price ranges … but I didn’t want to pay too much for a suit … and the variety was confusing.

In the end, we drove to Walmart, ventured into the Christmas area, hoped we’d find a suit … and they had just one left.

Second, how well does the Santa suit fit?

The hat, wig, and beard were okay … as were the pants … but Santa’s shirt was attached with Velcro, and I couldn’t insert a pillow without busting open the shirt.

So … compared to other Santas … I looked relatively thin.

My wife put baby powder on my eyebrows and face, so it looked like Santa had just come from the North Pole.

However, after putting the suit on, I noticed small red threads embedded into the carpet.

It’s not even Christmas and the Santa suit is already unraveling.

Third, how does Santa enter the living room?

In our place, there are only three options: the hallway, the sliding glass door to the backyard, and the front door.

Since it rained yesterday, I opted for the front door … just went through the garage, magically appeared on the doorstep, and rang the bell.

Fourth, how does Santa interact with the children?

I searched online for Santa tips, and settled on these four questions:

*What is your name?

*How old are you?

*Have you been naughty or nice?  (Every kid said they’d been nice.)

*What would you like for Christmas?  (Favorite answers: a skateboard or a dollhouse … although one kid wanted the latest Playstation.)

I didn’t promise to bring specific gifts to any child.  I merely stated that Santa’s sleigh is already full and that he’ll see what he can do.

Santa doesn’t want a broken promise to harm a child’s trust.

Fifth, how well does Santa pose for photos?

Although I posed for dozens of pictures, no smile was visible through my beard.

Some might say that Santa looks emotionally repressed … but when I remembered, I did say, “Ho ho ho” a lot.

Sixth, how did the kids respond to Santa?

Some walked right up to me and immediately posed for photos.

Some approached me with trepidation, but finally sat on my lap.

A few played games nearly at my feet.

Several children were petrified that Santa was anywhere near them.

Most kids were happy to take a candy cane.

Several kids asked me where Rudolph was.  I told them that after Rudolph and the other reindeer dropped me off, they went flying through the sky, and would pick me up when the night was over.

The kids seemed to buy it.

Finally, were there any surprises about playing Santa?

Yes … the suit is warm, and after two hours, I was relieved to remove it.

I also discovered that it’s hard to eat anything when you’re playing Santa because pieces of the beard get caught in your mouth.

The families seemed to have a great time.  After everybody left, we didn’t have any cupcakes … M & M’s … cookies … or any other goodies left.

Playing Santa is hard work.  I’m exhausted today.

But at least a dozen families had their own personal Santa for a little while … without having to stand in line at the mall and pay for pictures … and in the end, a good time was had by all.

But if you want me to come to your place and play Santa … you’ll have to speak with Miss Kim first.

And I’m not sure Rudolph wants to go out again before Christmas Eve.