There was something missing though.

It was the sounds.

About 25 kids, toddler to seventh grade, told Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Except they all did it with sign language.

And Santa responded in the same way.

Quota International of Sioux City invited hearing-impaired children to its third annual Signing Santa on Monday at the Santa House, located on the main floor of the Clarion Hotel. The event was an opportunity for the deaf and hearing-impaired children of Siouxland to sign their Christmas wishes to Santa, without needing an interpreter.

Just like kids who have no hearing challenges, some of them were more animated than others in their requests. Some just viewed Santa with wide eyes. Santa was more than patient in both cases.

Off to the side were interpreters; sometimes encouraging the young ones in their requests, sometimes joking with them; sometimes reinforcing their "signing" with the spoken words.

Jessica Chase, 10, a student at Crescent Park School, signed that she had asked Santa for a guitar.

"Do you know how to play a guitar or do you want to play the guitar?" her teacher Mary Hoffmann both signed and asked the words.

Jessica signed, "yes" and emphatically spoke it.

Responding to a question, "Do you know Paul McCartney?" the delight in Jessica's face was immediate as she signed and said, "yes" emphatically with a laugh about her knowledge of the former Beatle.

Jessica also asked Santa for, "a toy microphone."

"Like a karaoke one?" Hoffman signed and spoke.

Jessica nodded and signed, "yes."

Santa this year was portrayed by Lisa Barrett. At age 29, she wasn't that much older than some of the kids sitting on her lap.

She signed that her mother-in-law (Connie Barrett) approached her and asked if she would play Signing Santa for the kids ... "because she wanted the kids to see Santa dressed up the way Santa should be." Lisa was a dead ringer for the Jolly Old Elf, complete with the "little round belly."

Lisa was born deaf and attended a school for the deaf so her Santa experience may have been different from these children, Connie explained.

"Lisa may well have had a Santa Claus, dressed up, who could sign," said Connie Barrett. "This may be a first for some of these kids."

Lisa signed that most of the requests from the kids focused on toys although one did want a television. She added that she understood everybody despite the fact that there were different levels of signing.

Lisa signed that acting as Santa was a good experience and one she would do again. It was particularly touching for her since she and her husband Jason (who is also deaf), have two children, ages 4 and 5 (not hearing impaired), and this is a special time of year for them as well.

Shay Gebauer, chair of the hearing and speech committee for Quota, said she came across a Quota Club in Michigan that was doing a Signing Santa several years ago.

"I love this time of year and I loved the 'alliteration' of Signing Santa," she explained. "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be cool if the kids could talk directly to Santa instead of through an interpreter?'"

"It allows the world to adjust to them instead of them adjusting to the world," added Steph Eastman, a Quota volunteer at the Signing Santa event.

This year invitations went out to the schools and the event was also publicized via the Western Hills Area Education Agency. There was no charge for the children who received a picture with Santa, a Santa cookie and apple cider and were able to create a holiday craft. Quota International of Sioux City's Hearing and Speech Committee sponsored the Signing Santa.

By Joanne Fox
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2005/12/06/news/top/378074b03c74492d862570cf0013055c.txt