He’s green, he’s mean, he wants to steal Christmas and he’s really good at grossly overloading a sleigh.

He is the Grinch.

The Grinch is actually Amanda Peart, who painted her face and donned her Grinchy attire for her workday at Master Cuts.

She’s green, but not mean — she would never steal Christmas — and if she were loading a sleigh, would follow the weight limits.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Emmett Wayne Eastwood, 2 and his sister, Mavis Lynn Eastwood, 6 months, look they might be working out a way to make a break for it Saturday afternoon as they visit with Santa at the Crossroads Mall.

She brought Santa … Santa cookies.

“I’m going to eat your face,” she joked in her best impression of the Grinch then began consuming the icing.

The cookies may have been a distraction for a much deeper Deep Grinch Plot.

“I’m taking all the presents from the good kids and giving them to the naughty kids,” she Grinched.

In spite of that horrible idea, Santa, being a benevolent spirit, will still visit the Grinch.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Amanda Peart, who donned her Grinchy apparel Saturday, touches up her makeup a bit before going out to meet her customers at Master Cuts in the Crossroads Mall.

“Yes,” Santa said, “he will get a present. I’m not going to disclose what. It depends on his behavior.”

Peart, who was only playing the Grinch and isn’t actually a Grinch, will get a visit too.

“She’s getting a very nice present,” Santa said.

During the course of his 500 years of jolly gift-giving, sleigh-flying and list-keeping, Santa has seen the requests change. While a new canvas for the covered wagon might have popular in 1848, children today want toys, not tools.

“L.O.L. Surprise! dolls are popular,” Santa said. “Apparently they’re little miniature things. They’re really hot this year.”

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Travis Austin, of Webster City, demonstates that you’re never too old to spend a little time with Santa as he poses for a picture with his family Saturday at the Crossroads Mall.

Many are asking for electronic tablets. Santa grew up in an era when that meant a slab of granite and later evolved into something one would write on.

“I ask them what color paper they would like. Pen, pencil or crayons,” he said.

That usually goes over their heads at flying sleigh altitude. Parents standing by, however, usually do get it.

Another popular item this year: miniature real estate.

“The Barbie Dream House,” he said. “Far more than in the past. They must have done some good advertising this year.”

Anna Gambill, of Fort Dodge, brought her children, Emmett Wayne Eastwood, 2, and his younger sister, Mavis Lynn Eastwood, 6 months, to visit with Santa.

Her son’s wishes to Santa remained secret. She was pretty sure though that the list would include “semis and tractors.”

Her own Christmas wish was a little more, well, expensive, expansive and mobile.

“A log cabin and at least 10 acres of land with a Jeep,” she said. “You can always wish.”

Santa also wants to remind children that even though it’s only a few days away, they still have time to make it onto the good list if they think they might be on the naughty list.

“Everyone can be kind and giving,” he said. “Be nice to everyone and if you can’t be good, be great.”

Santa also has to cope with the occasional “accident” during his time visiting with children and delivering presents. His elves developed a magic red suit fabric in 1822 to cope with the increasingly sooty chimneys due to a shortage of chimney sweeps and an increase in coal use for home heating.

The suit repels pretty much anything.

Travis Austin, of Webster City, and his partner, Alison Seiger, brought their children for a visit and came very close to testing the ability of the magic suit fabric to repel, well, stains.

One of their children had apparently, just had lunch.

“Hurry,” she told him. “So Santa doesn’t get puked on.”