Santa’s in the house!

Greg Risling

The reaction is the same every year when the multitude of lights are shut

off and over a wall comes Santa, flying across the sky.

The crowd collectively “oohs” and “aahs” at the sight.

Then, as Santa makes his way through a makeshift chimney, the bright

lights are turned back on and kids and parents alike stand amazed at the

production.

For the past 33 years, people have come far and wide to 2269 Santa Ana

Avenue in Eastside Costa Mesa. Each year, the modest home owned by

84-year-old Ruth Jordan goes through a majestic reincarnation that can

rival Disneyland’s “It’s A Small World” ride.

The spacious lawn is decorated with mechanical figures, brightly painted

walls and, most importantly, enough Christmas lights to put Times Square

to shame.

“Every year we come by, this gets bigger and better,” said Melodie

Posada, who lives nearby. Posada brought her two young children to see

Santa, who appears magically every night from 7 to 9 p.m. “They pay so

much attention to detail. They really go out of their way.”

The elaborate production is the work of 47-year-old Jim Jordan, Ruth’s

son, and a group of his friends who work all year long to decorate the

frontyard. He started back in 1967 with only a Christmas tree and a child

hanging on a ladder.

As years passed, the endeavor grew and word circulated around the county

about the home everyone had to see. The final result -- with some minor

modifications -- pays homage to Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, who

recently announced that his last cartoon will appear Jan. 3. The

frontyard becomes a Christmas comic strip with an animated band, reindeer

prancing about and characters pulling gifts back and forth.

“Our friends told us we should check this place out,” said Daniel

Meadows, who came with his family from Laguna Niguel. “We like going to

the boat parade, but this place is so great for the kids. You forget this

is someone’s house.”

One might ask why someone would put forth such an enormous undertaking.

Jim Jordan explains through fond memories and simply by being there every

night.

He recalled one year when he saw a grown man weeping like a baby in front

of the house. The man had brought his son, who was heartbroken over the

recent death of his mother. The boy hadn’t spoken since his mother lost

her battle with cancer.

But when the boy saw all the lights and Charlie Brown and Snoopy, he

couldn’t contain his exuberance.

“The dad was crying because those were the first words his son spoke

since the mom died,” Jordan said. “That touched all of us.”

Then there was the time when Jordan played Santa and a little girl asked

for just one gift -- white socks. The girl’s family didn’t have much

money, so as she walked around the house, one of the elves headed down to

the store and bought the socks.

“No child is rushed through here,” Jordan added. “There isn’t a time

limit.”

When watching Jordan, it’s difficult to tell who is having more fun --

him or the children. He equipped one of the stages with a phone that is

controlled from a booth nearby. Jordan sits in the booth behind a two-way

mirror and watches kids approach the phone. When they crank the handle,

the phone rings and lights up. The children are able to talk with the

mysterious person on the other line.

“We play a joke on the adults when they turn the handle and there isn’t a

ring,” he said. “Boy, do they get mad. They want to rip the thing out.”

But frustrating parents isn’t what the decorations are about. It’s just

one way Jordan figures he can give back to the community in which he was

raised.

“It can’t get any better than giving back to people,” he added. “People

always say we give so much, but no one knows how much satisfaction we get

out of this.”

Given those good spirits, anyone interested might want to stop by before

Santa flies away. The show closes Jan. 1.