SANTA ANSWERS THE INEVITABLE: HOW CAN YOU BE EVERYWHERE?; BEING ST. NICK DEMANDS ALERT RESPONSES

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus -- and he easily can be found this time of year at holiday parades, parties and area shopping malls.

But one question remains: How is he able to be everywhere at once and still fulfill every child's Christmas wish in time for the big day?

The answer: He sends his helpers to do the work, of course.

At some point in their young lives, every child has been told that Santa Claus sends his helpers to the malls and parties because he is just too busy making toys and answering letters at the North Pole.

But that doesn't stop them from asking about Santa's true identity. And sometimes it's hard to come up with a quick, logical answer to their questions.

"I tell the kids that I am Santa," said Greg Holten, a 25-year-old college student who portrays Santa Claus at the West Park Mall for Cherry Hill Photo Co. "They don't care as much about me but ask, Where are the reindeer?"

Since it's approximately 884,182 miles to the North Pole, the reindeer stay on the roof of the mall. At first, another Santa said the reindeer were in the northeast corner of the southeast section of the parking lot, until the children went in search of them. Now they all stay on the roof.

"I never realized how much impact what I say has on the kids," Holten said. "I try to tell them to listen to their parents and clean up their rooms. They are so impressionable. What I say or do affects them traumatically."

Some children get upset and frightened when they actually come face-to-face with the red-suited, jelly-bellied man.

"The younger kids, from 3 to 5 years old, are more than willing to come sit on Santa's lap," he said. "But, if they are between 9 and 13 years old, they avoid Santa. They've grown out of it."

But not everyone has grown up enough to stop visiting Santa: He's had guests from age 8 to 80.

"The oldest person to sit on my lap was my mother-in-law, who is 80," said Edward Lema, 63, who also depicts Santa Claus at the mall. "There was another older lady who sat on my lap and sent the pictures to her children."

Thousands of children have visited Santa at the mall since Thanksgiving. During the visits he's heard some strange Christmas requests as well as received plenty of gifts.

One little girl said she couldn't wait until Christmas to leave Santa a cookie so she brought him one from the bakery after her visit. Another boy cut out a picture of every item he wanted for Christmas and pasted them on poster board to show Santa his wish list, said Jane Lema, who also works for the photo company.

"One child wanted a baby brother for Christmas," Edward Lema said. "I was a little worried about how to respond."

But the typical requests are for Barbie dolls, Batman toys and Power Rangers, although one girl asked for a vacuum.

Most children also want to know where the toys are now.

"I say they are made in the North Pole, and after I get your requests I call them (the elves) and tell them what you want," he said, adding that the kids get worried when he asks if they've been good all year. "I say every kid has to have a little devil in them once in a while."

Even if they've been bad, most of the children don't question a Santa Claus who delivers toys through the front door and doesn't come down the chimney.

"They know that in Cape Girardeau he goes in a van and has a helper," said Matt Hopkins. Being Santa Claus is an experience like no other for Hopkins, who never really wanted to be jolly old St. Nick.

Seven years ago he began filling bags of toys for the Jaycees Toy Box drive and was later asked to be a Santa, a job he didn't want at first.

"The smiles are what keep you coming back," Hopkins said. "Nothing can take the place of Santa passing out gifts. Their faces glow when they see you come in with the toys."

Regardless of how Santa arrives or which toys he brings along, the most important gift he brings is the Christmas spirit. "I try to keep a good spirit and stay happy because that's what Santa is -- he's always happy," Holten said.