When you are a child, you tend to not really care how difficult Santa Claus’ job is —making his list, checking it twice and coordinating all of the labor needed to get all the toys made and delivered.

As an adult, you can fully appreciate the logistical nightmare that must be the North Pole this time each year.

This past weekend, we took our children to the Southern Heritage Air Foundation for the annual Pajamas, Pancakes and Planes event, complete with a visit from Santa Claus.

The event ran like clockwork, with the early morning session having their fun and then making way for the mid-morning group.

We made our way through the pancake line, ate our breakfast and then got in line to see Santa. For Sarah Cameron, meeting Old St. Nick is old hat. She’s a pro of having met him on numerous occasions.

For the boys, it is and was a completely different story.

Two years ago, Fin and Clayton met Santa Claus at the Kansas City Southern Railroad’s holiday train stop. Let us just say neither boy was impressed, and Fin downright wanted to get as far away from Santa as possible.

Saturday though, both hopped up on his lap, told him what they wanted for Christmas and did so with no prodding, no bribery and without any tears. That in itself was a good enough gift for me this year.

After meeting Santa, the kids played games, made ornaments and made cookies that would have sent anyone into a sugar coma.

I didn’t know a cookie could have icing, sprinkles, colored sugar, gum drops and chocolate chips.

You would have thought such a combination would have been ruled illegal by the Food and Drug Administration.

I offer my thanks and congratulations to the staff of the Southern Heritage Air Foundation and the volunteers who helped put on such an amazing event.

And, the fun is not over.

In addition to Santa’s stops throughout Vicksburg last weekend, he will be back again this weekend; appearing Saturday at the Vicksburg Convention Center’s annual Magical Breakfast With Santa and then later that evening at the rescheduled Christmas parade through downtown Vicksburg.

Santa sure made an impression on my kiddos this year. I am just glad that impression didn’t come once again with tears and the possibility of therapy.

Tim Reeves is publisher of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at tim.reeves@vicksburgpost.com.