And I thought a Penguin would be tough...

I guess, technically, I could have gone to the Sacramento Zoo and found the "penguin house". We went there this summer and watched the penguins behind the glass. I know glass breaks, and I know I can break it. So, fulfilling Ashley's Christmas dreams was a possibility. A remote one, but a possibility nonetheless.

Now we have Parker. Apparently his school class all wrote letters to Santa and the newspaper got ahold of the letter. They were published this week. I just read Parker's letter, via the newspaper. Here it is, in its entirety:

Dear Santa,

Haw do yure randre fli I want to noe.
And thank you for the presents last yare.
Ples give me a elf.

Parker M.

At least penguins are real. I mean, Santa could scrounge one up from somewhere; a zoo, one of the poles, some eccentric person's basement tank. But where are you getting an elf? They're busy, small, they can disappear, they have those curly-tipped boots and pointed hats. No one is bringing one of those little fellers into this house.

I can just see Ashley and Parker, surrounded by dolls and toy trains and other wonderful toys, huddled in the corner, weeping, and mumbling something about their shattered Christmas wishes...