Early bird start for Santa Claus
The turkey and pumpkin pie are still a week off, but the holiday season kicked into yuletide gear Thursday at Woodfield Shopping Center.
Hundreds of children readied their Christmas wish lists and convinced their parents they've been good, all in preparation for Santa Claus' arrival.
Old St. Nick greeted shoppers in a parade through the Schaumburg mall, led by members of Conant High School's drum line. He then settled into his chair in a display set up to look like the North Pole, his home for the next several weeks.
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The first five children to visit with Santa were guests of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Seven-year-old Nia Martin of Northbrook, who's been cancer-free for two years after battling a brain tumor, couldn't work up the nerve to ask Santa what was really on her mind.
"I want to know how he gets from house to house and how he fits down the chimney because he's so chubby," she said.
Instead, Nia asked for Lincoln Logs and recalled the islands she and her family visited on the eight-day Caribbean cruise granted by the foundation.
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Abby Beranek spent the 2006 holiday season in a hospital bed, so the 4-year-old from Lemont marched merrily in the parade, sticking close to Santa's red suit as she played her plastic flute.
She asked the Santa for "presents."
"She finished treatment in June for her brain tumor," Abby's mother, Beth, said. "It's wonderful to celebrate early and enjoy every moment of this."
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Michael Hardy, 5, of Bloomingdale had his wish list ready.
"I asked Santa for a Dragon's Egg and SpongeBob Legos and a Go Kart and a piranha and to sit on the bottom of a rocket ship. That might be it."
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Mia Parise caught a glimpse of the giant snow globe and learned of Santa's impending arrival when she visited Woodfield on Monday with her grandma.
The 4-year-old from Arlington Heights has been wired ever since.
"She went to bed at 11 that night still talking about it," mom Allison said of her daughter. "Is today the day? Can I be in the parade? Is today the day? We decided to leave preschool a little early today."
Mia, who had to traverse the snow globe to get to Santa's lap, doesn't hesitate when asked what's on her Christmas list.
"I want a boy Baby Alive doll," she said. "You feed it and change it and it sleeps."
She added: "I need him. My other is broked."
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By the numbers:
10,000
Kids who visited Santa at Woodfield last year
10
Nights spent setting up the North Pole scene
9
Number of times per minute Vince Vaughn's dance with Santa's elves in the comedy "Fred Claus" looped on the snow globe's giant video screen
14
Members of Conant High School's drum line to lead the parade
20
The height in feet of the giant snow globe children walk through to visit Santa
1
Segway driven by a mall security guard to clear the parade route