There are 11 months until Christmas and there are lots of things going on at the North Pole!

Greetings from the frigid North Pole where winter is in full force. We have had snow nearly every day since Christmas.

Santa returned last month, early on Christmas morning, and it seems we have been holding one long Christmas party.

That is kind of a tradition here at the North Pole.

Of course, that final month before Christmas is every kind of crazy so it’s normal for Santa to take a little down time and to allow all of us elves to do the same.

About the only department **really** working is the North Pole Post Office, which has stayed busy processing thank you notes for Santa all month long so far.

The rest of us have been kind of working short days, spending a lot of time playing in the snow, catching up with family and, for the younger ones, skipping a lot of school. It is kind of a January North Pole tradition.

But, as I indicated in yesterday’s North Pole Chat, it never lasts for long. In fact, today, the 24th of January, is kind of a line in the snow.

This is the day the talks about goals and plans for this year get real serious. The 24th, you see, is a big deal every month.

It is a countdown day. With just 11 months now until Christmas Eve everyone starts looking at the clock. And counting down the months, then the weeks, and then the days naturally everyone has to think of everything that has to get done.

Of course, I’ve already told you about the reindeer. They’re gone. Well, most of them. We do have a number that stay at the North Pole year round because this is where they are from. But most of Santa’s reindeer are gone now.

That, believe it or not, makes a day like this easier to get through. With the reindeer absent everything feels different. It really is the feeling that Christmas is over and it is time to start getting ready for the next one.

But it is a cold, dark and gray day outside. The skies are heavy and it feels sad. Everything is moving slowly.

This is how Christmas begins. Slowly.

It does not last long. But right now, I know for many elves, it feels like a big mountain to climb.

We just had a very successful Christmas. One of the best flights that Santa has ever had – a record breaker!

The next challenge is to do it again. And that is hard to do.

I know once Santa comes through that door this morning the first thing he will say is that next Christmas will be harder to do. And that’s because last Christmas was so great.

I’m excited to get going. I’m excited to try new things. I’m excited to see if we can actually have a better Christmas this year than we just celebrated. I hope you check in with us often to see if we can do it.