Pre-Christmas Snow

*** Snow ***

We see it all of the time here at the North Pole. Many of you would not like all of the snow we get each year. However, no one at the North Pole ever complains about the snow. In fact, as Christmas draws nearer, we get more excited by each snowfall.

Yesterday, we had six inches of new snow. The elves decided to take a their lunch break outside playing. We built snowmen and made snow angels. There were two big forts built for a snowball battle between the doll-making elves and the truck-making elves.

Everyone was having so much fun that they almost never made it back into the workshop. Finally, Ernest, the head toymaker, was able to get everyone back to work. We spent nearly three hours playing in the snow, so the elves all decided to work extra hard and late to make sure that everything stayed on schedule.

So the next time that you see snow, think about how lucky we are at the North Pole to have it all year.

Herbie D. Elf

Reindeer Games officially closed

Hi there, Herbie D. Elf here. We just watched the closing ceremonies of this year’s Reindeer Games.  For the first time in many years, each individual event was won by a different reindeer.

The games started with the carrot crunching contest which was won easily by Vixen. His crunch was so loud that it almost caused an avalanche.

Dasher was this year’s winner in the long jump, while his partner, Dancer, won the high jump. Because of their success at these two events, Santa has already decided that they will once again be in the front row of the sleigh team on Christmas Eve.

Comet and Cupid were both very disappointed that they did not win the long jump or high jump. But, they came back very strong in their favorite event – the sleigh pull. They finished in a tie for first place.  When they were asked if they wanted to compete in a tiebreaker, they both said that they would rather share the win. Everyone applauded the decision made by the two friends.

After much work by Mrs. Claus, a new recipe was found for the oat pies for the eating contest. Prancer, Donner and Blitzen were the three finalists. In the end, it was Prancer taking home the gold medal. He was very excited about his victory, but he ate so many pies that he will have to do a lot more exercising to be ready for Christmas Eve.

We all had a great time watching the Reindeer Games. All of the reindeer did very well this year and, according to Santa, every one of them was a winner. I think all of the elves agree. And now, it’s back to work for everyone so we can be sure that everything is ready for Santa’s big trip.

Herbie D. Elf

Reindeer Games Update

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen – the eight reindeer we all know and love. And, once again, the eight reindeer are dominating the Reindeer Games.

Vixen won the carrot crunching competition again this year with a crunch that made the elves’ ears rattle. He was quite proud of himself. He even got high hooves from Dasher and Dancer and a big thumbs-up from Santa.

There is still some debate about whether the oat pie eating contest will be held. Some of the reindeer got sick last year from eating too much pie. Mrs. Claus is trying a new recipe this year and hopes that the new pies will be healthier for the reindeer.

Tomorrow is the start of the high jump and long jump. I was watching Comet and Cupid practicing together this morning. They look like they will be difficult to beat.

Well, it’s time for the sleigh-pulling contest. The sleigh is loaded with five big bags of toys. The bags are so big, there is no room in there for Santa. The reindeer picked numbers to decide the order in which they will compete. Donner will be first.

I will have more updates on the Reindeer Games later this week.

Herbie D. Elf

Reinder Games

Christmas Eve is two months away. That can only mean that today is the first day of the 2009 Reindeer Games. 

Reindeer Games are a great combination of fun and exercise for the reindeer. All of the reindeer participate, not just the ones everyone knows. Dasher and Dancer are always the favorites to win the games, which is why they are at the front of the team that pulls Santa’s sleigh. 

Favorite games include the long jump and the high jump. Both of them help the reindeer practice their takeoffs to get the sleigh off of your roof and back into the air. The high jump also helps the reindeer practice their pinpoint landings – so they don’t miss your roof or slide off of it. 

The sleigh pull, oat pie eating contest and the carrot crunch complete this year’s Reindeer Game events. The carrot crunch is my favorite game. The reindeer who can make the loudest crunching sound eating a carrot is named the winner. Vixen won this event last year. 

The games last for one week and last for about an hour each day. That way, the elves get to see the games during a break in their workdays. The elves are as excited to watch the games as the reindeer are to participate.

Well, that’s all for now. Santa just came outside to officially open this year’s Reindeer Games. I will let you know the results next time. Until then, boys and girls, be good. Santa is still watching very carefully!

Herbie D. Elf

The Countdown Is On

Christmas day is just three months away. You can really feel the excitement beginning to build here at the North Pole.

Mrs. Claus has been spending many hours in the kitchen preparing Santa’s favorite foods.  The smells from the kitchen have been making all of us hungry, but Mrs. Claus has told us that her cooking is off limits right now. She said he needs to put on a few pounds so he will fit into his red suit.

The toymakers are working around the clock in preparation for filling all of the requests of boys and girls worldwide. The workshop is a constant stream of parts coming in and toys coming out. The toys become more and more amazing every year. I do not know how they keep coming up with all of these great new ideas.

Well, it is time for me to get back to the news for everyone here at the North Pole. I will be sending out more news very soon. Until then, boys and girls, make sure that you stay on Santa’s Nice List. The Naughty List is already long enough.

Herbie D. Elf signing off for now…

Greetings from the North Pole!

Greetings from the North Pole!

My name is Herbie D. Elf, special reporter for the North Pole News. Everyone here calls me the Elfwriter. I have started this project to give you an ongoing look at what happens here at the North Pole as we get closer and closer to Christmas.

It is hard to believe that Christmas eve is 108 days away. You can probably imagine how busy the toymakers and gift wrappers are right now.

This is just the beginning of our journey to Christmas Eve. All of us here at the North Pole hope that you visit regularly for updates on all of the holiday happenings. We also hope that you will tell all of your friends to visit too!

I will be back with our first “official” update soon. Look forward to seeing you then.