A pudgy 2-year-old made his way towards Santa Claus, paused before he reached jolly old St. Nick, and offered the man in the red suit a coy smile before climbing up on to his lap.

Minutes later, a shy 5-year-old with gaps where her front teeth used to be gathered her courage and sallied towards Santa's chair. She had to be strong - she had her little sister in tow, who appeared to want to be anywhere but Santa's wonderland.

Welcome to the North Pole at Fingerlakes Mall, where Santa has been holding court with youngsters nearly every Christmas since the mall opened. On an average weekend during the holiday season, Santa sees between 100 and 150 children a day. That's a lot of holiday wishes to be granted.

This year, thanks to a new wonderland setting, Santa is even more approachable than before. Situated right across from the flagship Bass Pro Shops, Santa's vantage point in the middle of the food court is perfect for scoping out all those naughty and nice mall shoppers.

For the last 40 years, Santa has been played by Don Lawler, a figure who embodies the true spirit of the season. He doesn't just play Santa when he's at the mall, Lawler is Santa. He is helped by P.J. Holtby and Bob Tanner, who don their Santa suits for their seasonal turns as Kris Kringle.

Being a mall Santa might look like easy work, but try sitting for five hours on a wooden chair in a red velvet suit with fake fur trim, hoisting little children into your lap every couple of minutes. The novelty could get old fast if you lack the endurance for such holiday sport, but the Fingerlakes Santas - all helpers on loan from the North Pole, of course - take their jobs seriously.

Holtby, who at 31, is the youngest of the three, began his exploits as Father Christmas in 1998. He had taken some time off since then and this year was his first back in the sleigh. The former corrections officer is no stranger to tough situations, and being Santa is a constant challenge, not meant for the faint-hearted.

"It's tough to sit there for five hours straight. It's hot, you have to pay attention to everything the kids are saying. And sometimes it's hard to hear them because of the noise in the mall," he said.

Holtby and his Arctic Circle compatriots have seen their fair share of screamers and children who simply will not be moved to sit with Santa. Some children prefer to stand and talk to Santa and more than a few keep their distance, choosing to tell Santa their Christmas wishes from behind mom or dad's legs, where it's safe.

In his four decades of being Santa, Lawler has seen it all. He emphasizes reading the children's body language for clues on how they will react to Santa. But that's easy for him to say. He's a social worker who teaches courses on behavioral science at CCC and has worked with children his entire career.

"It's hard to know for sure how each child will react. They're very individual and you have to be sensitive to that," the 68-year-old said. "Some will run at top speed into my lap and others need to be moved with heavy equipment."

And just as Lawler has to read each child's eyes and body language, he has to be mindful about how he carries himself and interacts with the children.

"I have to be very careful about my body language. Some kids are very shy and worried and fearful. I try to be on eye level with them," he said.

Not everyone takes this cognitive approach to the role of St. Nick, but everyone has his own style. Tanner is in his third year as the man from the North. He empathizes with the children who are scared to come and visit with Santa.

He's got eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren and not all of them were keen on Santa at first. But now, he says, they love that he plays Santa.

The 74-year-old got his start dressing up as Santa for the neighborhood children. He would sit on his porch and entertain the little ones as they told him their holiday requests. He thought about going to the mall and "trying out" for a while, but with the encouragement from his family and friends, he took the plunge.

"I just like to make the kids happy. If I put a smile on their faces, I'm happy. I love it so much," he said.

This year, the hot items for boys are Nintendo GameCubes and for girls, Bratz dolls, says Holtby. Lawler says the material requests of children change little over the years. Dolls du jour for girls, and trucks, video games and sports equipment for boys.

One little girl asked Holtby for a menagerie of animals that included a puppy, a kitty, two gerbils, a pony and a goat. Holtby told her that it's hard for Santa to bring animals because they don't like to ride in the sleigh.

Santa can never promise to deliver each child's requests, but he can encourage the youngsters to be good to improve their chances. Holtby tries to include the parents in the visit and puts in a few plugs for school and chores.

"I build on something for the parents. I ask them if the kids are paying attention in school, if they're helping at home, if they put their toys away," he said.

A number of the children ask for presents for their siblings or their parents or other relatives. Some of the older children ask for presents for younger brothers or sisters who are too scared to visit with Santa.

"I notice a lot of thoughtfulness for siblings," Lawler said.

Tanner remembers one little girl who seemed to be asking for a present for her grandfather, but it was more of a roundabout request for something she wanted.

"She asked if I could bring her grandpa a truck so he could get a trailer and buy her a pony," he said.

But no matter what the request, Santa is always amused by what comes out of the mouths of his tiny visitors. The idea that "kids say the darndest things," rings true in the Fingerlakes Mall winter wonderland.

"I have literally burst out laughing. You never know what they're going to come up with. There is a tremendous range of experiences" Lawler said. "It's a real opportunity to share a moment and affirm that each child is unique and special."

Staff writer Lauren Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or lauren.ober@lee.net