Remarks by the First Lady to Children on the NORAD Santa-Tracker Call

11:25 A.M. HAST
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Anthony?  Is it Anthony?  Hello?
 
ANTHONY:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Anthony!  It’s First Lady Michelle Obama.  I’m here at NORAD, I’m helping them track Santa this evening.  Are you staying up late trying to figure out where Santa is?
 
ANTHONY:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  What are you doing?
 
ANTHONY:  Just watching TV!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You’re just watching TV?  But it’s Christmas Eve!  Aren’t you excited that Santa is going to be coming in the morning? 
 
ANTHONY:  Yeah, but I just -- I get to watch TV.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You get to watch TV?  That’s really cool.  Do you get to watch TV a lot, or is this just special because it’s Christmas Eve?
 
ANTHONY:  A lot. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?  Well, you know what I have?  I have a special satellite system that can track where Santa is anywhere in the world.  You want to know where Santa’s reindeer are right now?
 
ANTHONY:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  They’re flying over a country called Libya right now.  Do you know where Libya is?

ANTHONY:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Libya is all the way on the other side of the world in a continent called Africa.  So he’s flying in Africa right now, and he’s already delivered over 3 billion gifts.  Can you imagine that? 
    
ANTHONY:  A lot.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, he’s working really hard.  And he’s going to be headed to your house soon, Anthony.  He’s coming to your house.  But you know what?  You have to be in bed before Santa comes to deliver your gifts, okay? 
 
ANTHONY:  Okay. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  So you’ve got to go to bed and sleep tight so when you wake up in the morning Santa will have come and delivered your gifts, okay? 
 
ANTHONY:  Okay. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, Anthony, it’s been -- hello? 
 
ANTHONY:  What time is it -- be in bed?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you should go to bed as soon as your mom and dad tell you to go to bed.  That’s the perfect time.  Okay?  All right.  Well you have a Merry Christmas, okay, Anthony? 
 
ANTHONY:  Okay.  What about my brother? 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  What’s your brother’s name?  Tell him to have a Merry Christmas too, okay? 
 
ANTHONY:  He’s here because he’s right next to --
 
ANTHONY’S MOM:  Okay, say Merry Christmas.  Thank you!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.   You guys have a great Christmas. 
 
ANTHONY’S MOM:  You too.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Bye-bye.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, is this Hunter?
 
HUNTER’S DAD:  Yes, he’s right here.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Hunter.  Hello, is Hunter there?

HUNTER’S DAD:  Yeah, he’s kind of being shy.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Well, Hunter, this is First Lady Michelle Obama.  I’m helping NORAD track Santa.  And I’m going to tell you where Santa is because I’m looking on the radar screen and I see Santa -- I see a little sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, and he is flying right now -- he’s going faster than the speed of light.  He’s flying over a country called Libya, and he’s delivered over 3 billion toys already.  And it looks like he’s headed towards your house soon.  But, Hunter, you’ve got to be in bed before Santa will come and deliver the toys.  So you’ve got to listen to your dad when he says go to bed so that Santa can get there in time and drop your toys off, okay?
 
HUNTER’S DAD:  He said okay real quietly.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  (Laughter.)  Well, you guys have a Merry Christmas, okay?
 
HUNTER’S DAD:  You too.  Thank you.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Take care.  Have a good night. 
 
HUNTER’S DAD:  You too.  Thanks.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Bye-bye.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, is Peyton there? 
 
PEYTON:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  This is Michelle Obama.  I’m helping the NORAD team out -- track Santa, and I hear that Peyton is trying to figure out where Santa is right now?
 
PEYTON:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, is this Peyton?
 
PEYTON:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  How are you?
 
PEYTON:  Good.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you having a good Christmas Eve?
 
PEYTON:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited that it’s going to be Christmas tomorrow?
 
PEYTON:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?  What do you want on your list?  What’s your -- what did you ask Santa for?
 
PEYTON:  This year I’m actually kind of wanting a book.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, that’s great!  That sounds terrific.  You’re a good reader, huh?
 
PEYTON:  Yeah. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s terrific.  Well, I’m looking at the satellite screen right now -- and it’s some of the most high-tech equipment they have around -- and it looks like there’s a little sleigh with reindeer flying over a country called Libya in Africa.  And he’s going faster than the speed of light, but this special equipment can really track him, and it says that right now he’s delivered over 3 billion gifts already. 
 
PEYTON:  Wow!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah.  And he’s flying -- actually, right now he’s flying over the ocean headed toward Malta.  He’s almost going to be there -- he’s going to be there in about a minute.  It’s a pretty cool system.  So are you going to stay up late tonight, or are you going to get a good night’s sleep so that you’re fresh for Christmas?
 
PEYTON:  I’m probably going to ask my mom if I can take a pill that will help me sleep, because otherwise I’m going to stay up all night. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, that sounds -- it’s a little exciting, right?
 
PEYTON:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Well you try to get a good night’s sleep tonight.  And have a great Christmas in the morning, okay?
 
PEYTON:  You too.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Merry Christmas, sweetie.
 
PEYTON:  Merry Christmas to you too.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right, bye-bye. 
 
PEYTON:  Bye.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, is this Isabella (ph)?
 
ISABELLA:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Isabella.  This is First Lady Michelle Obama.  I’m here with the NORAD team helping them track Santa.  Are you interested in finding out where Santa is tonight? 
 
ISABELLA:  Yeah!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, right now, the radar -- oh, man.  Oh, my goodness.  I see Santa with eight reindeer.
 
ISABELLA:  Reindeer, yeah!  I know!  Because he has -- right now he’s on my shirt.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Is he on your shirt? 
 
ISABELLA:  Yeah!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You have a Santa picture on your shirt?
 
ISABELLA:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, that’s so cool.  Well, you know --
 
ISABELLA:  -- Santa coming to give me presents.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?
 
ISABELLA:  Uh-huh.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited about Christmas tomorrow?
 
ISABELLA:  Really excited!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It’s so exciting, isn’t it?  Christmas Eve is the best time of year!
 
ISABELLA:  Yeah!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah!
 
ISABELLA:  It’s Christmas!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It’s so exciting.  Well, you want to know -- right now Santa is flying over the country of Italy, which is in Europe.  Yeah, he’s flying really fast.  And you know how many gifts --
 
ISABELLA:  Yeah, he really is flying fast.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He’s flying fast.  He’s delivered over 3 billion gifts already, Isabella.  Can you believe how hard he’s working tonight? 
 
ISABELLA:  Uh-huh.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, he’s working so hard.  Well, you know what?  He’s not going to get to your house until you’re fast asleep, okay? 
 
ISABELLA:  Mmm-hmm.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So you have to go to bed when your mom and dad tell you to go to bed, okay?  And that’s when Santa will be able to bolt over your house and deliver your toys, okay?
 
ISABELLA:  Yeah.  Right now I’m at Texas.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?  You’re in Texas, yeah.
 
ISABELLA:  I’m in Texas right now.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He’s going to make it to Texas, but he’s not going to get there until you’re fast asleep, okay?
 
ISABELLA:  Mmm-hmm.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Well, you have a great sleep tonight, okay? 
 
ISABELLA:  -- the best day.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  And have a Merry Christmas, okay? 
 
ISABELLA:  Merry Christmas!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Thanks for calling, sweetie.  Bye-bye!
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hello!  Is this Sheldon (ph) and Skyler (ph)?
 
CHILDREN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  How are you all doing tonight?
 
CHILDREN:  Good.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s good.  This is First Lady Michelle Obama.  I’m working with the NORAD team tonight to help track Santa, and I hear that you’re trying to figure out where he is. 
 
CHILD:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah.  Well, I’m looking at the satellite right now -- it’s really busy here, this is the busiest night of the year -- but it shows that Santa and his reindeer are flying over the country of Italy right now.  You know where Italy is? 
 
CHILD:  What?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Italy is in Europe.  So he’s all the way across the ocean in Europe right now delivering toys over there.  And it shows that he’s delivered over 3 billion toys already tonight.  Can you imagine that?  Pretty cool, huh? 
 
So are you guys ready for Christmas? 
 
CHILD:  Yes, ma’am.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Have you been good this year?
 
CHILD:  Yes, ma’am.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s awesome.  Well, you know, Santa is not going to get to your house in Tennessee until you guys are fast asleep, okay? 
 
CHILD:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So that means you’ve got to go to bed when your parents tell you to go to bed, and that’s when Santa will get there.  All right?
 
CHILD:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Have a great night’s sleep, and have a very Merry Christmas, okay? 
 
CHILD:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Thanks for calling. 
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi!  How are you guys doing? 
 
CHILDREN:  Good!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you having a great Christmas Eve?
 
CHILDREN:  Yeah!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s great.  Well, this is First Lady Michelle Obama and I’m here with NORAD.  I’m helping them track Santa tonight.  Are you guys looking to see where Santa is right now?
 
CHILDREN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I’m looking on the radar screen right now, and I see Santa with eight -- what did you say, sweetie?
 
CHLOE:  The North Pole!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  What?
 
CHLOE:  Santa lives at the North Pole!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He did what, sweetie?
 
CHLOE:  Santa lives in the North Pole!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He does live in the North Pole.  But right now, he’s flying all over the world, because tonight is Christmas Eve and he’s delivering all the gifts to all the good girls and boys.  So he’s not at the North Pole right now.  He’s flying all over the world.  And right now, he’s in a country -- flying over the country of Italy, according to our satellite tracker.  We have special equipment here that helps us find Santa.
    
CHLOE:  (Inaudible.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?
 
CHLOE:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You did?  Are you ready for Santa to come to your house? 
 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you know when -- Santa comes to your house when you’re fast asleep, okay?
 
CHILDREN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So you’ve got to go to bed when your mom tells you to, okay?
 
CHILDREN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And when your eyes are closed tight and you’re fast asleep, he’s going to zoom over to where you guys live, and he’s going to drop off some presents.
 
CHILDREN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay? 
 
CHILDREN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you guys have a great night’s sleep, okay?  And have a very Merry Christmas.
 
CHILDREN:  Okay!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Good night, sweeties!
 
CHILDREN:  Night.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, is this Ashley?
 
ASHLEY:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Ashley.  This is First Lady Michelle Obama.  I’m here working with NORAD tonight helping them track Santa and I hear you want to find out where he is. 
 
ASHLEY:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, well, I’m looking at the special satellite tracker that they have here that shows a tiny blip in the screen that looks like Santa with eight tiny reindeer.  And he’s flying over the country of Croatia right now.  That’s way over on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in Europe.  And he’s flying really fast.  He’s been working hard all night already.  Do you know how many gifts he’s already delivered?
 
ASHLEY:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Over 3 billion gifts already.  Can you imagine that?
 
ASHLEY:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He works so hard on Christmas Eve to get all these toys to all the good little boys and girls.  Have you been good this year?  I bet you have, right?  Do you know when Santa gets to your house?
 
ASHLEY:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He only gets there after you’re fast asleep, okay? 
 
ASHLEY:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So when he knows that your eyes are shut tight, then he’s going to zoom over to where you live in South Carolina and he’s going to drop your toys off for you and all the other little gifts for your family, okay? 
 
ASHLEY:  Mmm-hmm.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So make sure you go to bed when your parents tell you to go to bed tonight, okay?
 
ASHLEY:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And get a good night’s sleep.  And have a great Christmas tomorrow morning, okay?
 
ASHLEY:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Merry Christmas, sweetie. 
 
ASHLEY:  Merry Christmas.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Good night.
 
*****

MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, is this Erin and Gracie?
 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
ERIN AND GRACIE’S MOM:  Say hello.
 
CHILDREN:  Hello.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  How are you guys doing tonight?  Are you excited about Christmas Eve?
 
CHILDREN:  Yep.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I understand that you’re calling to find out where Santa is, is that correct?
 
CHILDREN:  Yes!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, we have special satellite equipment here in NORAD, and I’m looking at the screen and it shows Santa flying over the country of Albania, which is in Europe.  And already tonight he’s delivered more than 3 billion toys to good little boys and girls all over the world.  Pretty amazing, huh?
 
CHILDREN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah.  Have you guys been good this year?
 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s good.  Well, you know, Santa doesn’t get to your house until you’re fast asleep, okay?  Because he can travel so fast that the minute you close your eyes, he’s going to pop over to where you live and he’s going to drop those toys off, okay?
 
CHILDREN:  Yay!  Yeah, he’s -- to our house.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  What?
 
GRACIE:  At night, one time --
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, well, tonight is one of those night’s where you want to get in bed when your mom and dad tell you to, okay?  All right.  I know it’s exciting.  It’s hard to sleep on a night like this, isn’t it?  Yeah.
 
Well, make sure you get a good night’s sleep tonight, okay, so that you have a lot of energy to open up those gifts in the morning, okay? 
 
CHILDREN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right, you guys, have a Merry Christmas, okay? 
 
CHILDREN:  Merry Christmas.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thanks for calling. 
 
CHILDREN:  Merry Christmas.  Bye!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Merry Christmas.
 
ERIN AND GRACIE’S DAD:  Merry Christmas!
 
ERIN AND GRACIE’S MOM:  Merry Christmas!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Bye-bye, you guys.  Enjoy. 
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hello!  Is this Nolan?
 
NOLAN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Nolan, it’s First Lady Michelle Obama.  I’m here with the NORAD folks and I’m helping them track Santa tonight.  Are you interested in knowing where Santa is right now? 
NOLAN:  Yes, ma’am.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He is right now -- I’m looking at the satellite and there’s a little blip on the screen, and all the folks are telling me that this is Santa with his eight tiny reindeer.  And he’s flying over the country of Bosnia right now.  You know where Bosnia is?
 
NOLAN:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It’s all the way on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in Europe. 
 
NOLAN:  Oh.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  But he’s flying really fast.  Santa can deliver gifts in a matter of seconds.  He’s already delivered over 3 billion gifts, according to our figures here at NORAD.  You know how hard you have to work to deliver that many gifts all over the world? 
 
NOLAN:  Really hard.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Really hard.  But you know why he does it?  Because he knows there’s good little kids like you all over the world who have been good all year, right?
 
NOLAN:  Mmm-hmm.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah.  But you know when he gets to your house?
 
NOLAN:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  After you’re fast asleep.  Okay?  So you’ve got to make sure to get a good night’s sleep tonight, okay? 
 
NOLAN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Go to bed when your mom or dad or -- anybody in your house, when they tell you it’s bedtime, you want to get there and close your eyes so Santa will arrive on time, okay?
 
NOLAN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Have a Merry Christmas, sweetie.  Thanks for calling. 
 
NOLAN:  You’re welcome. 
    
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Bye-bye.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, Caroline?
 
CAROLINE:  Hello?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Caroline.  How are you?
 
CAROLINE:  Good.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I’m First Lady Michelle Obama.  And I’m working with NORAD tonight helping them track Santa.  I hear you want to find out where he is right now.  Is that true?
 
CAROLINE:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Right now, I’m looking at the satellite and it’s showing that Santa right now is flying over Slovenia, which is a country in Europe on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.  And he’s flying really fast, faster than the speed of sound, which is why he can be anywhere in a matter of seconds.  But right now he’s in Europe, but he’s headed our way.  He’s headed here to the United States.  And he’s going to be here soon, probably by the time you go to bed and close your eyes he’ll be flying over your house, okay? 
 
CAROLINE:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited?

CAROLINE:  Yes, I am.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It’s going to be a great day tomorrow, isn’t it?
 
CAROLINE:  Yes, ma’am.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Well, you make sure to get a good night’s sleep, okay?
 
CAROLINE:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And have a very, very Merry Christmas tomorrow, okay?
 
CAROLINE’S MOM:  Thank you, you too.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Thanks for calling, sweetie.  Bye-bye.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, how are you?
 
KATELYN:  Good.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  What’s your name?
 
KATELYN:  Katelyn.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Katelyn, how are you?  Are you excited this Christmas Eve?
 
KATELYN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?  Are you ready to get a lot of toys from Santa?
 
KATELYN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You want to know where he’s flying over right this second, as we speak?
 
KATELYN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He’s flying over a country called Serbia, which is way over in Europe on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.  And he is moving faster than the speed of sound.  He has been working all night already.  You know how many gifts he’s already delivered?
 
KATELYN:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Over 3 billion gifts already.  Can you imagine that? 
 
KATELYN:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, that takes a lot of work.  But Santa does it because of the good little boys and girls like you all over the world.  You have brothers and sisters?
 
KATELYN:  Yeah, I have two brothers.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  How old are they?
 
KATELYN:  Sixteen and 21.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, that’s right, so you’re the youngest in the house, right?
 
KATELYN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, well, you know, when Santa gets to your house is after you’re fast asleep.  Have your brothers told you about that? 
    
KATELYN:  No.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, he doesn’t get to your house until you’re fast asleep.  And when he knows your eyes are closed -- because he’s heading this way, he’s heading over to the United States where we all live -- and by the time you’re fast asleep, he’s going to get to your house and deliver those gifts, okay?
 
KATELYN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So you’ve got to make sure you go to bed when your mom and dad tell you to, okay?
 
KATELYN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Get a good night’s sleep.  And when you wake up in the morning, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, okay?
 
KATELYN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Thanks for calling, sweetie.  Good night.
 
KATELYN:  Bye.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Bye-bye.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, is this Kayla?
 
KALY:  No, it’s Kaly.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Kaly.  How are you?  How old are you, Kaly?
 
KALY:  I’m eight years old.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You’re eight years old?  Well, it’s so good that you called.  Are you calling to find out where Santa is tonight? 
 
KALY:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I’m working with NORAD tonight -- by the way, I’m First Lady Michelle Obama, and I help out every Christmas Eve -- I help them track Santa for good little kids like --
 
KALY:  Your voice --
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hmm?
 
KALY:  Go ahead.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  What did you say, sweetie?
 
KALY:  I said your voice sounded familiar because I’ve seen you on “Jessie” before.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, you like “Jessie”?  I loved working with the people on “Jessie”, they are so cool.  Is that one of your favorite shows? 
 
KALY:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?  Well, I know you’re excited about Christmas Eve tonight, aren’t you?
 
KALY:  Yes, I am.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, I am too.  But right now, I’m tracking that Santa is flying over the country of Germany right now. 
 
KALY:  He is?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Mmm-hmm.  He’s all the way in Europe right now.  And he’s headed our way, but it’s going to be a little bit because he doesn’t get there until you guys are fast asleep.  What time are you going to bed tonight?
 
KALY:  I go to bed around like 8:30, 9-ish.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That sounds like a good plan.  He’ll probably be there shortly after your eyes are closed and you’re fast asleep.
 
KALY:  Yup.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah.  He’s been working hard already.  Do you know how many gifts he’s already delivered?
 
KALY:  How many?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  More than 3 billion gifts.  Can you imagine that?
 
KALY:  Yeah, I don’t know how his sleigh can hold that many.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I don’t know how he can go as fast as he can go, but it’s magic almost, don’t you think?
 
KALY:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah.  You have to be a pretty special guy like Santa to be able to do everything that he has to do in one night.
 
KALY:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah.  But he does it for good little girls like you.  Yeah. 
 
KALY:  Do you know any of the elves?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Does he have any elves?
 
KALY:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, I think I can see a couple that are in the sleigh with him, but most of the elves are still at the North Pole, because they help get the toys together for him.  But I see -- it looks like there’s at least one elf in his sleigh helping him tonight with his eight tiny reindeer. 
 
KALY:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah.  Well, it’s going to be a great Christmas tomorrow, right?
 
KALY:  Yup.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you make sure you get a good night’s sleep, okay?
 
KALY:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  And have a great time tomorrow, a very Merry Christmas, okay?
 
KALY:  Merry Christmas.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Take care, sweetie.  Good night.
 
KALY:  Good night.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Tristian, how are you tonight?

TRISTIAN:  Good.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready for Santa to come?
 
TRISTIAN:  Yup.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, you know, I’m helping -- I’m here at NORAD, and I’m helping them track Santa tonight.  And I’m looking on the radar screen, and it looks like Santa is flying over a country called Poland right now.  Poland is in Europe, all the way across the ocean. 
    
TRISTIAN:  Cool.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  But he’s headed our way.  He’s coming to the United States soon.  He’s going to be flying pretty fast.  It’s exciting, isn’t it?
 
TRISTIAN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah?  You know when he gets to your house --
 
TRISTIAN:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  -- you have to be fast asleep, okay? 
 
TRISTIAN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So you’ve got to make sure to go to bed when mom tells you to go to bed, okay? 
 
TRISTIAN:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right. 
    
CHILD:  (Inaudible.)
 
TRISTIAN’S MOM:  That was my daughter, sorry.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Well, tell her she’s got to be asleep too, right?
 
TRISTIAN’S MOM:  You’ve got to be asleep before Santa comes, right? 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  She wants to talk?  Let’s talk. 
 
JEMMA:  Yeah.  Hi, this is --
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, sweetie, how are you?
 
TRISTIAN’S MOM:  Say “my name is Jemma.” 
 
JEMMA:  My name is Jemma.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Jemma, how are you? 
 
JEMMA:  Good.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready for Santa to come tomorrow? 
 
JEMMA:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It’s going to be so exciting.
 
JEMMA:  Yeah.
 
TRISTIAN’S MOM:  You tell her -- you say “Merry Christmas.”
 
JEMMA:  Merry Christmas!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Merry Christmas.  You guys have a great day tomorrow, okay? 
 
TRISTIAN’S MOM:  Thank you so much.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thanks for calling.  Take care.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hello?  Is Jamison there?
 
JAMISON’S MOM:  Look, Jamison.  Say hi!
 
JAMISON:  Hi!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Jamison, how are you? 
 
JAMISON’S MOM:  Say, “good, how are you?”
 
JAMISON:  Hi!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are you excited about Santa? 
 
JAMISON’S MOM:  Say, “yes.”
 
MRS. OBAMA:  How are you, sweetie?
 
JAMISON’S MOM:  Say, “good, how are you?”
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I am good.  I’m helping to track Santa tonight.
He’s flying all over the world delivering presents to boys and girls.  And I can see him on my radar screen in his sleigh, and he’s heading towards your house.  It’s going to be so exciting, but you have to be fast asleep before he’ll get to your house, okay?  So you’ve got to go to bed when mom tells you -- you’ve got to close your eyes tight.  Okay? 
 
JAMISON’S MOM:  Say, “okay, thank you.”
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Have a great Christmas tomorrow.
 
JAMISON’S MOM:  Say, “you too!”  Okay, thank you.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Bye-bye.
 
*****
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hello? 
 
KIMBERLEE:  Yeah, how are you doing?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Good.  It’s Michelle Obama, First Lady.  I’m helping NORAD track Santa tonight.  Who do we have on the phone?
 
KIMBERLEE:  This is Kimberlee.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Kimberlee, how are you doing?
 
KIMBERLEE:  I’m doing fine.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah? 
 
KIMBERLEE:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Your kids Zania --
 
KIMBERLEE:  Zonyeak and --
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Zonyeak and Zyalay?
 
KIMBERLEE:  Zyalay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are they triplets?
 
KIMBERLEE:  No, they’re just -- they’re about four years apart. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, my goodness.  Are they excited?  Are they on the phone?  Because I’m here -- I can tell them where Santa is right now. 
 
KIMBERLEE:  All three of them are on the phone.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right, you guys, I’m looking at the satellite screen and it looks like Santa and his eight reindeer are flying over a country called Poland right now.  And Poland is all the way on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in Europe.  But Santa and his sleigh, they’re heading this way.  They’re moving faster than the speed of sound.  That’s fast.
 
KIMBERLEE:  Yeah, I know, that is fast.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Now, have they been good girls this year?
 
KIMBERLEE:  Yeah, I have two girls and one boy.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, two girls and one boy.  Have they all been good?
 
KIMBERLEE:  Yes.  You all say yes?
 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  That’s great.  That means that you’re going to have a good Christmas tomorrow, right?  But you know what, Santa will not get to your house until you’re fast asleep.  So you’ve got to go to bed when mom says go to bed, okay? 
 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  You’ve got to close your eyes tight, all right? 
CHILDREN:  Yes.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Well, you guys get a good night’s sleep tonight.  And have a very Merry Christmas tomorrow, okay?
 
CHILDREN:  Tell Mr. Obama hi.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I will tell him hi for you, okay? 
 
CHILD:  Hi, Mrs. Obama. 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, sweetie.  You guys have a great Christmas, okay? 
 
KIMBERLEE:  Thank you.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right, you all.  Take care. 
 
*****

NICK:  Hello?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hi, Nick, how are you?
 
NICK:  Good.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  It’s First Lady Michelle Obama.  And I’m here helping NORAD track Santa.  And I hear you’re looking to see where Santa is right now, is that true?
 
NICK:  I am, yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, I’m looking at the radar screen right now and he’s flying over a country called Sweden, which is all the way in Europe.  It’s on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.  But he’s heading our way.  He’s heading towards the United States right now.  You live in Michigan, right?
 
NICK:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Yeah, well, he’s moving faster than the speed of sound.  You want to know how many gifts he’s already delivered?
 
NICK:  How much?
 
MRS. OBAMA:  More than 3 billion gifts, Nick.  Isn’t that amazing? 
 
NICK:  Yeah.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He’s working hard.  But it’s --
 
NICK:  I’m actually at my grandma and poppa’s right now, and I’m really not at my real house.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Are you going to sleep there tonight?
 
NICK:  Yup.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  He’s going to be able to find you no matter where you are.  Because we’re in Hawaii right now, even though we live in D.C., but Santa is always able to find my girls no matter where they sleep on Christmas Eve, okay?  So he’ll know that you’re at your grandma and grandpa’s tonight, okay?
 
NICK:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  But he won’t get there until you’re fast asleep, all right?

NICK:  I know.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  So you’ve got to go to bed when your --
 
NICK:  Merry Christmas.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay, you have a Merry Christmas too.  Have a lot of fun tomorrow, okay? 
    
NICK:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Okay.  Thanks for calling, sweetie.
 
NICK:  Okay.
 
MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Bye-bye. 
 
NICK:  Bye-bye.

END 12:02 P.M. HAST