DEAR SANTA: AREA POST OFFICES SNOWED UNDER BY LETTERS TO SANTA

Nick Wallhausen, 5, wrote a letter to Santa but doesn't really expect a reply until Christmas Day.

"He writes every year," said Nick's father Matthew. "He was excited about writing. He gets his answer on Christmas morning when there are gifts under the tree."

Nick and his grandmother wrote the letter which helped him learn letters and words. "It teaches him how to use grammar," Matthew Wallhausen said.

Even in an age of electronic mail and home computers, many children still write letters to Santa Claus. Santa's been online since 1994 at www.santaclaus.com. Because the jolly man himself is so busy checking his list of good girls and boys, the elves usually send e-mail replies for him.

But many writers still depend on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver their letters to the North Pole.

In Cape Girardeau, the post office receives about 400 letters addressed to Santa each year, said Mike Keefe, postmaster.

"We even get letters in July," Keefe said. "I don't know if they're really late or really early."

(The majority of letters start piling up in early December. Depending on how many letters are received, sometimes postal employees will answer them. Other times, clubs or campus organization send replies.

Some of the letters are clearly written in the script of small children with their scrawled letters and no return addresses. Others have been addressed by a parent, who drops it in the mail. Some include a colored drawing or artwork but every letter includes The List.

Children are often encouraged by their parents to write to Santa, Keefe said. "Sometimes you do it because you find out what they really want for Christmas when they write the letters."

In some cases, the parents even include their own letters to Santa. One mother added a note to her son's letter. After all, Santa brings gifts to children of all ages.

But Santa doesn't just communicate by mail.

About 300 children received phone calls from Santa this year. The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department sponsors the annual phone calls.

Chris Eastridge, a recreation programmer for the department, spearheaded the phone calling this year. He's been a Santa for the past three years.

"Some children think you're really Santa and go nuts when you call," he said.

Parents fill out a form listing the child's names, phone number and what gifts they are likely to receive. Santa improvises with the rest.

But most children only want to quiz Santa about the toys and gifts on their wish list.

Occasionally, Santa gets some unusual requests and questions.

"One kid asked if he could come to the North Pole and I had to say I was really busy making toys and didn't have time to visit," Eastridge said.)