My Son the Elf

Dylan the Christmas Elf on December 11, 2015

Yep, that's my son Dylan in the big red onesie, the tall one in the middle, about an hour before he appeared on stage on the opening night of the high school's production of The Polar Express last night. He played the part of one of Santa's elves in the second half. I think he looks kind of like a giant Elf on the Shelf...

The play begins with an elderly lady telling a group of children about her sister,

who began to question the existence of Santa before the Polar Express came along.

Acting isn't really Dylan's thing. He took Theater because it was the only elective that fit his schedule that period. He's had a lot of experience over the years as a stage hand and production tech, and even as a bass musician in orchestra, but he's never been interested in being the one out on stage acting a part. Yet he found himself having a an unexpectedly good time, getting caught up in the fun of the experience. He still has no interest in pursuing acting of any kind, but he says he's glad he'll have this experience to look back on when he remembers his senior year.

The Polar Express carries a group of children to the North Pole.

The silly antics of an overgrown elf definitely pushed Dylan out of his comfort zone. He tends to be a bit more reserved, like his mother, so acting goofy before an audience goes against his nature. But he managed to pull it off and have fun at the same time. It didn't help that he missed the last two rehearsals due to his work schedule, and they made some last-minute changes in his absence, so he had to follow the other elves' cues and just wing it at times.

A clip from the second half of The Polar Express, presented by Blue Ridge High School.
Dylan is at left, the tallest elf in the crowd!

It was a great night and a great production, followed by cookies and hot chocolate in the lobby. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend gathering up your children and seeing the Saturday matinee at 3:00 today. Tickets are only $5.00! It's short and sweet (about 1 hour long) and the youngsters will love to see Santa Claus!

Dylan the Elf with stage makeup, glitter, and naturally pointed ears.

After the play ended, as families visited in the lobby and enjoyed the refreshments, children clustered around Santa (portrayed by our principal, Jay Cox) and shared their Christmas lists with him. To Dylan's surprise, one little girl cozied up to him and spilled out her Christmas wishes. Dylan said he stayed in character and gave her his full attention, promising to put in a good word to Santa for her. It made her very happy!

Santa Jacob, December 2015

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, the Christmas Spirit runs strong in our family. Don't forget, my other son Jacob has been Santa for a variety of venues since he was just 18 years old (he's 24 now), most recently this month at the Walmart where he works in Utah. As soon as his new supervisors learned of his talent, they put him right to work!

Wearing the uniform with pride.

Christmas joy, brought to you by those Carter boys!

Santa Jacob on the job in Utah.