Santa?

WARNING: if you are under 10 years old PLEASE do not read this post. It is really boring. I promise.
I'm taking a cue from my friend Kara B and throwing up a post that I hope will promote some discussion (maybe controversial?). I really would like to hear your opinions on this matter.
With Christmas coming up we have had many adults ask Cadie what Santa is bringing her and if she has been a good girl this year. Although she has no idea what they are talking about (she is 13 months old!) this is starting to worry me. Why so much Santa? Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to deal with Santa at all?
I've started to think seriously about a Santa-free Christmas. But how to do this?
I have no problem explaining to Cadie that Santa represents the spirit of giving, the biggest roadblock that I see is how to keep her from explaining that to others kids.
So there you go - has anyone done this? Any suggestions? Am I totally crazy? Is it impossible?

My Little Monkey
Cadie picked up the sign for "monkey" this week. It is hilarious! For her birthday she got a stuffed monkey that she likes to wrestle with because it makes funny sounds. She kept calling it a dog (doing the dog sign) and we would correct her with the sign for monkey. Sunday she busted out the monkey sign and won't stop. Anything that she doesn't know the sign for is now a monkey. This morning I entered her room and she was running back and forth in her crib signing "monkey" and making monkey sounds. Eric and I both started laughing.
We started signing to Cadie at about 8 months and she picked up a few basic signs but wasn't totally into it. This past month though it seems she has really taken off. It is great to be able to communicate with her!
My favorite example of how great baby sign language can be is this story: We had been showing Cadie the sign for "bed" for a couple weeks every time we put her in her crib. One day I was sitting on the couch watching her play and she stopped, crawled into my lap and did the sign for "milk" and then the sign for "bed." I knew exactly what she wanted - no tantrums or waiting for fussy/cranky mode to kick in. It was time for a nap!
Here is the monkey sign (and the monkey wrestle) caught on video:

Turkey Day in Chicago
Thanks to the Brooks for a fun weekend in the windy city! Loved the food, loved the city, loved the lights at the zoo, and loved being with good friends. Cadie loved following McKinley everywhere.