BREA : Santa May Be Making Two Trips

Luckily for Santa, Julia and Lynette Wetzel both want stuffed tigers for Christmas. Otherwise, it might have been tough to keep the 3-year-old identical twins’ orders straight.

As it was, St. Nick had his hands full Thursday morning when more than 50 sets of twins came to the Brea Mall to sit on his lap and make sure he was checking his list--twice.

“He had his job cut out for him today,” said Susan Norcutt, the mother of Jake and Garrett, 3-year-old fraternal twins. “He got a real mixture, some kids loved him and some cried . . . but that happens every year.”

The twins’ appointment with Santa Claus was organized by Double Deal Mothers of Multiples. The event also was a gift drive for Orangewood, the county’s home for abused children. Each set of twins--or triplets--was supposed to bring a toy for the cause.

“It was nice to have the kids meet Santa, but we also wanted to teach them about giving,” said Carol Zobel, the president of the local Double Deal MOM chapter in Fullerton.

Because of their age, many of the twins were unable to fully express their desires. Some even refused to get near the fellow in the red coat, or cried when they sat on his lap.

Still, most involved seemed to enjoy the gathering. Even Santa.

“It was difficult at times,” said Eldon Cotts, who donned the red coat and tried to appease all the children. “It’s kind of like a trip through a mysterious minefield, you never know how they are going to react. . . . But it was truly fun.”