The Santa Claus Misadventures
by Randall L. Whipkey

Yesterday, the five mothers who live on Mistletoe Court decided to go shopping together at Sommerset Mall and to take their children to visit the mall’s Santa Claus. Each of the five toddlers, including Danny, unfortunately had a mini-misadventure in meeting the red-suited man of December. From the descriptions below, you should be able to stuff a solved Logic Puzzle into your stocking by finding each child’s full name, the minor mishap he or she had with Santa, and the order 1st-5th in which the five met Mr. Claus.

1. Alexis took her turn earlier than the Montoya child, whose turn came earlier than that of the toddler who tripped and fell over Santa’s boots.
2. Neither the Donner nor the Snow child is the one who gave St. Nick’s beard a healthy yank; the elf’s for-real beard stayed firmly in place, but an “ouch” was heard.
3. Steven, who isn’t the Bowers toddler, isn’t the one of the five who stood 3 ft. from Santa’s chair before being coaxed to sit on his lap.
4. The Holly child went later than Christy, whose Santa Claus visit was later than that of the child who stood 3 ft. away.
5. The Snow child isn’t the one who refused to get off the jolly old elf’s lap when time was up.
6. Jonathan isn’t the one who tripped and fell.
7. The toddler who pulled Santa Claus’s beard sat on his lap immediately before the Bowers child did.
8. Alexis and the Donner and Snow toddlers chose candy canes as their gifts from the mall merchants.
9. The child whose entire time on Santa’s knee was spent sobbing isn’t Christy.

Please me.

The Customs of Christmas is a family-friendly site.