One of the greatest joys of Christmas in our family is that my husband, Hank, is Santa Claus.
Every August for the last six years, he quits shaving so he'll have a full, white beard in December and can play the role of Santa for our three grandchildren - Tilleigh, 10, Evie, 6, and William, 4 (our fourth grandchild is due in two weeks).
It started on Tilleigh's fifth birthday on Dec. 18, 2011. "Santa" was the surprise guest at her birthday party. Everyone, especially Tilleigh, was thrilled. Donned in his telltale red outfit and hat, Santa talked to every child at the party and handed out goody bags.
It was the next year that Tilleigh recognized similar traits in Santa Claus and her grandfather (they call him "Boo"). When she told us that she thought Santa was Boo, I told my trusting grandchild the truth - Santa handpicked her grandfather to be one of his helpers. He sent Rudolph and the other eight reindeer to our house one cold winter night and flew Boo to the North Pole where, within a few hours, he was trained as an official Santa's helper. He was given a Santa suit and took the Santa oath before the reindeer delivered him safely back home.
It was last year that Evie, now 6, figured out that Santa was Boo, who's a lawyer in real life.
At Tilleigh's birthday party she noticed Santa's faux boots - a black sleeve that fits over a shoe. Evie saw that the black shoes Santa was wearing were exactly like the ones her grandfather wore to work. She pulled me aside at the party and whispered, "Mom (they call me Mom), Santa Claus is Boo."
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
"Because he's got on lawyer shoes," she said.
It was one of those priceless moments I knew I'd remember for the rest of my life - Boo wears lawyer shoes.
I told Evie the story of Boo being an official Santa's helper; she was thrilled.
This year, William, 4, just couldn't put it together. When Santa showed up at our house, he couldn't quit staring. The man in the red suit looked a whole lot like his grandfather, sounded like his grandfather, but you could just see it in his face that he knew it couldn't possibly be his grandfather. It was Santa Claus.
It's not just our children who gets a visit from Santa Boo. For the last few years in festive fashion, Santa and one of his elves (Rip Biggs, an attorney and close family friend) deliver fruit and treats to work friends. Santa Boo has also visited the children of families participating in Chattanooga's Drug Court.
This year, Santa Boo was a special guest at our family's Christmas party. And just a couple weeks ago, Santa Boo took part in the Times Free Press' live Christmas webcast; he read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."
My husband, despite his busy work schedule, doesn't mind giving his time to play Santa Claus. And because of that, our Christmases are made even more memorable.
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com.