About this time of year, workshops at the North Pole swing into action. Santa’s helpers are hard at work making lots of toys for girls and boys.

According to Mrs. Claus, after Thanksgiving dinner today, that’s when North Pole workforce will go into overdrive, but the elves need some direction.

“We have the materials and the labor in our lovely little elves — they are hard workers, you know — but unfortunately we don’t yet know what the wonderful children of Beaufort County really want for Christmas,” Claus said in a telephone interview.

Claus, and her husband, Santa, have issued an invitation to all area children to make his or her list, check it twice, then drop off the Letters to Santa at the Washington Daily News’ offices at the corner of Market and Third streets, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. As the elves need to get a jumpstart building toys, Claus has set the deadline for Letters to Santa for Dec. 6.

“We’ll be sending one of the reindeer down to pick them up on the 7^th,” Claus explained, adding that which reindeer will make the trip will likely depend on who’s not playing reindeer games and can dash away, dash away, dash away, easily.

The Clauses’ reindeer — Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen — are responsible for pulling the sleigh across the globe on Christmas Eve as Santa Claus delivers toys.

“Right now, the reindeer are drilling — practicing prancing and pawing in tandem, landing with short stops on pitched roofs, that type of thing,” Claus said. “If you don’t know what you’re doing, it can get dicey, especially when you’re dealing with ice and snow. We’re hoping for good weather,” Claus laughed.

Since the Washington Daily News building has a flat roof, Claus said the landing should be no problem for the reindeer coming to pick up Letters to Santa on Dec. 7.

In the interest of time management, Claus has requested Letters to Santa not exceed 100 words.

“Santa’s eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, but they sure do still have their twinkle,” Claus said, while in the background, a faint “ho-ho-ho” could be heard.

Letters to Santa can be delivered during the Daily News’ regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Dec. 6. The letters will be printed in a special section of the newspaper on Dec. 15.