from my five year old self

borrowed from Real Simple

Dear Santa,
I am in Mr. Funk's afternoon kindergarten. We wrote you letters last week. Mr. Funk says you got them. What I am writing you about now (Christmas morning is tomorrow, so I hope the mail travels fast) is that Mr. Funk said we could only ask for things that were four letter words. Ball and doll and sled. Because of that, all of us asked for the same things, and I didnt get to ask for what I really wanted.

So here goes. Please dont say no until I explain the whole thing. I am thinking that you could stop here last and leave Rudolph with me. All the kids on our block would take very good care of him. In our class, we have a rabbit and a salamander. We feed them and give them water, and we pet the rabbit, whose name is Buster. Buster minds his own business and never runs around the room yelling the way some of the kids do - not me. I have looked in the garage, and I think Rudolph would like it in there. Or, really, he would like it on the roof of the garage, since the Buick is in the garage. My cousin Steve and I go on the roof all the time when nobody is looking, and its nice up there. Theres plenty of room to lie around and look at comic books and eat peanut butter our of Steve's jar. Steve and I climb that maple tree next to the fence, but your book says that Rudolph would fly up and down, and that is what I am getting at. I would like to fly around on Rudolph. I could hold on to his antlers. I am not very big. The doctor says that I am three feet six inches tall and I weigh only 38 pounds.

The important thing is that I would be Rudolph's best friend. I see in your book that on foggy Christmases the other reindeer let Rudolph light the way with his nose, but that is not the same as being his friend. Comet has Cupid; Dasher has Dancer; Donner has Blitzen. After Christmas is over, Rudoplh is on his own. I think he would rather stay with us and have a friend. And not every Christmas is foggy. This year the sky is clear - I can see the moon out my window.

When I wake up tomorrow morning, the first thing I am going to do is put on my shoes and go out to the garage. I hope that I will find Rudolph lying on the roof, taking a nice nap after his long trip. You may have noticed that we didnt leave any cookies for you this year. I have them right here. They are for Rudolph.

Thank you and yours truly,
Desi