Dear Santa,

I know it's a bit early for a letter to you, but we kids out at Mars desperately need new toys as soon as possible.

We've been having a couple boo-boos with our power supply. Our main diesel generators have been down for repairs, and it looks like the nuclear reactor that Emily asked for won't be coming for another decade or more. For some time now, we have been running on the back-up generator. Jonathan is a very environment conscious little boy and asks you for a 10kW of photovoltaics and a bank of mega-ultra-capacitors. I know it sounds like a lot, but you have to understand that kids these days are quite the realists when it comes to survival.

Dean has been working in the Green Hab all day putting in shelves and fixing pumps. He says he doesn't need anything, but I don't think so. You need to get him a case of air fresheners because I can smell his Green Hab cooties. Eww! Actually, make those three cases: one for Pixel's sand box and Jonathan needs one too!

Captain Emily is a special girl. She likes zappy things! She was playing with her electrical playthings today, but all her toys aren't here yet so please get them to us.

I've been a really good boy so I should get the new Rosie the Robot Maid. Without our mommies here on Mars, doing the chores has been very challenging. Like today, I broke another cup; so far that's four total. By the time we leave Mars, we might have to share Pixel's bowl because we would have broken all the cups! (Emily said she's going to tattletale to you that I've been a bad boy for not turning in my journals on time, but it's not true!!! …well, most of the time from now on.)

Elizabeth and I took inventory of the Engineering Bench all day today because of the sandstorms. My daddy always says that sandstorms are caused by Ares when he is fighting a war. I hope this one is short. Elizabeth wants the sunshine back so she can see the stars at night and do her astronomy homework. Yellow daisies would work too; it reminds her of sunshine on days like today.

Erik was working on his radio toy all day long so he can talk with his friend back on Earth. I guess it wasn't working because he mentioned "ground plane" and started breaking apart wires. I'm not sure what he was talking about, but I think he misses his stuffed dinosaur dolls that he forgot at home. He walks around at night looking for them. You should get him a liopleurodon because that's his favorite. (He even has liopleurodon pajamas. Those are so cool!)

Pixel has been a good cat by keeping the Martian mice away. He deserves some catnip.

I don't know how you're going to get here, but I know Rudolf can lead the way. It took us 6 months to get here, and I'm sure your reindeers and sleigh can fly to us faster than that. After all, you deliver gifts to all the kids on earth in one day. We'll also have a plate of delicious cookies and milk waiting for you just like we did for dessert at dinner tonight. Thank you Santa, and I hope you drop by soon!

Love,
Curtis