To Mojoman: that's funny that you made a comment about the bottle of Bacardi. When my sweetie was reading through the story, he stopped and chuckled at that as well. I hope you all realize I was playing it for comic effect. And as for Matt and his crazy scheme about the reindeer feeding station. ..also for comic effect. After all, how many crazy schemes has Matt had? Matt so naturally lends himself to comedy and exaggeration, don't you think?

And now, on we go with...

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CHAPTER 10: A VISIT FROM SANTA CLAUS

"Santa Claus!" Sam and Roberta and Howard repeated in unison.

"Santa Claus!" Lizzie and Matt cried out together, dropping their video game controllers and jumping up from the couch.

"Yes! It's me! Santa Claus!" confirmed Santa Claus in the doorway, stroking his long white beard and chuckling warmly as he rubbed his rotund tummy.

"Oh my God! Santa Claus!" Jo said. "What are you doing here?"

Lizzie and Matt had run into the foyer, enthralled by the sudden appearance of Santa Claus, and they almost leaped into his arms, but he was so large, and his suit so red, his boots so black, and his "Ho Ho Ho!" so hearty, that as much as they loved him, he awed them into a sudden case of shyness.

"What am I doing here? What am I doing here?" Santa repeated in a deep reverberating tone. "Well, it's Christmas, isn't it? So I'm here to say Merry Christmas! And Happy Hanukkah! And Feliz Navidad to all!"

The grownups exchanged a speechless look among themselves, but the children did not notice. Their eyes were sparkling brightly at the huge stranger in their doorway who was …strange, and yet not a stranger at all.

"Santa…" Lizzie whispered in wonder.

"Hello there, little girl!" Santa greeted, looking down at Lizzie and reaching out to shake her tiny hand with his large furry glove. "Ho Ho Ho! I've been out and about, visiting all the little children in the neighborhood before I set off in my sleigh tonight, and I met a chica next door who told me she had seen that a pretty little blonde girl lives in this house! A little girl who looks like someone who might like to play Barbies with her!"

"Oh!" Jo said unexpectedly. She glanced at her husband and knowingly poked him in the ribs. "The new neighbors," she whispered. "They have a little girl Lizzie's age."

"They do?" Sam said, who was not as socially observant as his wife.

"Yes, we do!" Santa confirmed. "I mean: Yes! They do!"

Lizzie had seen the girl. She had dark hair and big brown eyes and had smiled and waved at Lizzie as she carried a big box into the house. Lizzie had asked her mother if she could go play with the new girl and her mother said yes, of course—but after she did her homework, and made her bed, and ate her dinner…and after they baked the Christmas cookies, and did the Christmas shopping, and decorated the tree—

"What's her name?" Lizzie asked Santa suddenly.

"Her name is Miranda," Santa answered, and he rolled his "r's" as he said it.

Lizzie giggled. "That's a funny name. Mirrrrrranda!" she tried.

"Ho Ho Ho!" Santa answered. "Very good!"

About this time Matt decided the big guy was okay, and suddenly took a few short hops and jumped up into his arms. "What are you going to bring me for Christmas?" he asked excitedly tugging on Santa's beard.

"Matt!" Jo scolded. "Don't be rude!"

"I'm not being rude," little Matt insisted. "I just want to know."

"Ho Ho!" Santa exclaimed, bracing his back. "What a fine little fellow! And much…sturdier than he looks!"

"Would you like to sit down, Santa?" Jo offered, suddenly remembering her own manners. "Can I offer you some eggnog? Cookies?"

"Let's sit down," Santa suggested, carrying Matt into the living room. "I'll be Santa first, before we begin to talk of eggnog and cookies."

So Santa sat on the couch, and Matt and Lizzie crowded around him, asking questions and repeating their Christmas lists.

"I want a BB gun!" Matt began in earnest.

Santa glanced up at Sam and Jo, who were both gently shaking their heads.

"Oh!" Santa exclaimed. "A BB gun? Really? Say! Aren't you a little young to be playing with guns?"

""I'm four!" Matt stated proudly.

"But…but…you'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

"AWWW!" Matt complained.

"How about a nice…toy truck? Or a…or a…"

"Or a Ninja Turtle Party Wagon," Sam suggested.

"Yes!" Santa agreed. "A Ninja Turtle Party Wagon sounds wonderful. I'll bring you that!" and quickly moving on, "And you, little girl?"

"I really really want a Barbie Dream House. I wrote you a letter all about it. Do you remember? Signed: Lizzie McGuire."

Santa looked at Sam and Jo, who were this time gently nodding their heads.

"Of course I remember your letter!" Santa exclaimed with gusto. "And of course I'll bring you a Barbie Dream House! And can you guess what? That's the very same thing the chica next door has asked for!"

"Mirrrrrranda," Lizzie repeated with a giggle.

"Yes! And do you know what else Mirrrranda told me she would like for Christmas?" Santa said, looking directly at Lizzie. "A friend. A friend to play with."

"I'll be her friend!" Lizzie volunteered. "It would be nice to have a friend who was...who was…" She was about to say "who was a girl," but as she glanced up at Gordo's parents, she did not want them to feel offended, so she changed it to, "a girl who was living so close to me! Do you think she would like to come over and play?"

"I'm sure she would love to come over to play!"

"Oh, can she? Mommy, Daddy! Can she? Now?"