Demands and more demands

As time goes by and Christmas draws ever closer, people are becomeing more demanding, or so it is in Santa's grotto.

In weeks gone by we used to take down the names and ages of children in order to welcome them to the grotto and get them the right age present.

Now we get corrected left right and centre, where every name has three spellings, and some are just bizzare (See earlier post). Princess and Apple eat your heart out, it's all about the Octaviors and Marzipans now.

I have even seen some parents cross-out wrongly spelt names and change them to some kind of space-age version, whether it be an f instead of a ph, three zs or a ben with two ns.

Seemingly it is also popular to give siblings names beginning with the same letter and two letter names. Anne is now slashed to An. Next thing you know Ben will become Be.

Upon entry to the grotto and after a river of tears there is a demand to take the perfect picture. I can tell you having worked for a month in the grotto, when to give up on a capturing a good photo and when to click away.

Basically if they cry when they come into the grotto, you may as well go home because it's not going to happen. I sometimes want to scream, but instead shake my rattle until my head starts to feel fuzzy and I worry I will give these children a helping hand in their scarred-for-life memories of Santa Clause.

I've probably given hundreds of them a phobia of rattles or anything that rings. If they don't answer the door to people it'll be all my fault. They will end up alone and afraid to answer the door.

Then again maybe that will be a blessing if their parents are still as demanding when they are old enough to live alone.

Us Elves really can't win. I spent yesterday getting asked if I could give siblings the same presents despite their difference in age: "Just so they won't fight," said one anxious mother.

But low and behold, today someone was upset we did give her siblings the same present, even though they were appropriate to both their ages.

What is an elf to do?

Finally when it's time to buy a photo (which i might add is not compulsory) no more can we flick through the photos, print and take the money. No. that was November, this is December don't you know.

Now we have to crop, do red- eye removal (which does not work, when I do it at least, but if you pretend it does they usually believe you) and I have parents advising me which way to move my mouse.

Who's the elf, me or you, I think to myself.

They are trying to take control day by day, but I'm staying strong. I have the outfit and that must count for something right?