Will Santa Come Through?

The suspense is literally too much to take. Will Santa be able to save Christmas for a 5 year old? All Kelton wants for Christmas from Santa is a subscription to ToonTown, an on-line game that we had for about 6 months last winter. Since it costs money and I was the only one really playing it, I cancelled it back in June. For months Kelton has been asking to have it back so he decided a sure-fire way was to ask Santa.

So - we paid for the annual subscription on December 13th with the thought that it would give me plenty of time in the evenings to get the game back to where it was when we last played. Only........apparently because of Vista's release in the spring and other various updates our computer is no longer compatible with the game.

And for some reason, neither is my year old laptop - which makes absolutely no sense to me.

I've spent the last two days and nights sending reports to the tech team at ToonTown and following their directions. Nothing is making it work. Last night I even managed to mess up the laptop but good though I *think* between Dakota and I we have it back in the land of the living. But really - there is no telling until later today. Dakota took it to work with her to see if she can get on-line help going (their on-line/phone help is available from 9-9:30 Eastern Time and since we are in the West Coast it makes it near impossible for me to work on it without certain little Santa-believing children seeing me.

Our desktop computer, granted, is a relic in terms of technology (which burns me up in more ways than I can tell you - it doesn't seem right that three year old computer can't be updated enough (and for free) to stay up with the changes) which may mean that we have to suck it up and find a way to buy a new one....and before Christmas. I just can't stand the thought of Kelton's Christmas wish falling short when it is right *there*. We just can't access it. We have a ToonTown shirt and certificate for him for under the tree. It will be really crappy if Santa had to leave a note "Merry Christmas, Kelton! I am giving you your much desired subscription to ToonTown but sorry - you can't play it until your parents pony up for a new computer." Talk about sucking the joy out of a Santa gift. *sigh*

And the kicker for me is we are looking at what is most likely the last Christmas Kelton will even believe in Santa - he is already questioning it - and I so desperately need this to come through. We've told him over and over that we just don't have the funds to pay for Toon Town but he knows Santa is magical and can do anything.

Oh to have that kind of faith.

So - Dakota is doing what she can with the laptop today because if we can get the game working on it, we can hold off on a new desktop computer until the first of the year sales. If not, we'll be hitting the computer store tomorrow morning while Kelton is at school.

Oh the suspense. And I thought pulling of a Christmas miracle on the 24th last year was a feat - this one promises to be so much more challenging. Wish us luck!