Ho(w) much, Ho(w) many, Ho(w) long?

During a quick break from his duties, Santa Claus took time during a trip to Lakewood Ranch to answer questions from area elementary school students. 

The jolly, old man scratched his head, looked through the list of questions and said, "Thanks to all the children who gave me questions. Some of them are very tough but Santa will try to give his best answers. I hope all enjoy the answers and everyone has a merry Christmas. Always believe."

He then took on the questions one by one:

"Can you walk through walls?"

— Kyle Gandy, Southside Elementary

Santa: "Kyle, Santa can do some magical things, but walking through walls is not one of them."

"Do you speak Spanish?"

— Damian Guitierrez-Duff, William H. Bashaw Elementary

Santa: "Santa is constantly learning ways to speak to all the kids. He has to study all the different languages as well as sign language."

"Do you know what 100 plus 100 equals?"

— Miakaylah Dyer, William H. Bashaw Elementary

Santa: "Miakaylah, I do indeed. Do you? Why don't you leave me the answer next to the homemade cookies."

"Did you make the elves?"

— Aubrey Hoonhout-Jenkins, Southside Elementary

Santa: "Aubrey, Santa does a lot of things, but he does not make people. Only God has the power to make people. That is the reason we celebrate Christmas. It is a celebration of the birth of Christ."

"What is your favorite kind of cookie?"

- Sam Weathers, Tara Elementary

Santa: "Sam, I like homemade cookies best of all because they contain all the love of the person who made them."

 "What is your favorite movie?"

— Liam Christenson, B.D. Gullett Elementary

"Santa likes all movies that portray him as a loving, caring person who brings happiness into the lives of the people he touches. I would say my most favorite is "Miracle on 34th Street."

 "How fast does your sled go?"

— Alex Guillet, Southside Elementary

Santa: "Alex, I am not really sure. I have never tried to record the speed."

"How old are you?"

— Brice Dixon, William H. Bashaw Elementary

Santa: "Santa has been around for generations. Father Time and I have a great deal so that my aging slows down."

"How long of a shower do you take after delivering presents at Christmas?"

— Heyden Kudelko, B.D. Gullett Elementary

Santa: "Heyden, my shower after delivering presents is no longer than the ones I take every day."

"How many coats do you have?"

— Heather Brown, Freedom Elementary

Santa: "Heather, I have many coats. I have so many due to the different climates and locations in the world where I visit."

"How many elves are there in your workshop?"

— Eva Christenson, B.D. Gullett Elementary

Santa: "Eva, we have never counted the Elves. We have to make sure we have enough elves each year to make the toys and get them all packed."

"How many presents do you deliver every year?"

— Emilie Kach, Southside Elementary

"Emilie, the number would be so big I would need to have a huge piece of paper to write it down."

"Why do you live in the North Pole?"

Jack Barnes, B.D. Gullett Elementary

Santa —"Jack, Mrs. Claus and I choose to live at the North Pole because it's the best place for us to keep the reindeer and the elves comfortable. It also allows us the space and quiet we need to think about all the children. Keeping up the naughty and nice list is a lot of work."

"How do you stay awake all night?"

— Maia Linehan-Failla, Southside Elementary

Santa: "Maia, Santa is so busy on Christmas Eve he forgets about sleep. The cool air also helps him to stay awake."

"Do elves go in your sleigh when you drive it?"
 

— Leah Glynn, Freedom Elementary

Santa: "Leah, not on the very special night. I let them ride sometimes when we are doing a test on the sleigh to make sure everything is working for my ride around the world."

"Does Santa wear a wig?"

— Piper Mulligan, Southside Elementary

Answer: "Piper, Ho, Ho, Ho. If Santa is having a bad hair day, he might wear one, but on most days Santa does not."

"Do you know how to read chapter books?"

— Savannah Daley, William H. Bashaw Elementary

Santa: "Savannah, yes I do. A lot of the books I read are chapter books. This allows me to take a break and come back to a good starting place to start reading again. 

"Do you have friends?"

— Marquis McArthur, William H. Bashaw Elementary

Santa: "Marquis, oh my goodness, yes. Santa has many, many friends around the world. He has many helpers other than the elves. All of these are friends."

"How do you get inside our house?"

— Jaxon Brester, Southside Elementary

Santa: "Jaxon, this is an excellent question. If you live in a house that has a chimney, I come down it. If your house does not have a chimney, then I use my magical key that allows me into your front door."

"How do you give the reindeer magic to fly?"

— Reid Costa, Southside Elementary

Santa: "Reid, the reindeer we have are specifically trained to fly for Santa. The method we use to train them is a closely guarded secret. I will let you in on a small part of the secret. It involves a special magic dust."

(Anyone who would like to schedule Santa for an event can contact his agent (wink...wink) at [email protected]).