HAYDEN, Idaho — Never mind 34th street. Call this story the "Miracle on Honeysuckle Avenue."
Also, replace the tale's location of New York City with Hayden, Idaho and the additional setting of Macy's Department Store with a Walmart.
The story still features Santa Claus, though. One that gave an early holiday surprise to a Coeur d'Alene mom and her young son.
"I just happened to get in Santa's lane," said Stacey Jones of a recent trip to the Hayden Walmart.
While shopping on Thursday for plates to use during Thanksgiving dinner, Jones and her son Jackson, 3, received quite the surprise when they approached the checkout lane. Although not wearing any red or his signature cap, the Walmart employee appeared to be Saint Nick in disguise.
"The twinkle in his eye. It was like, 'Oh man, that's really Santa!'" said Jones of the experience. Upon further inspection, she noticed that Kris Kringle was wearing an official Walmart name tag reading "Santa."
Mr. Claus quickly went to work and began inquiring about Jackson's pre-holiday season behavior, Jones said.
"He started talking with my son, saying 'You've been a good boy this year. What do you want for Christmas?'"
During the subsequent ride back to Coeur d'Alene, Jackson couldn't stop talking about the surprise.
"When we got in the car on the way home, he just kept talking about Santa, saying 'Mommy, I'm a good boy! Mommy, I saw Santa,'" Jones said.
The special interaction had extra meaning for Jackson, she said, because her son is often shy and has experienced speech challenges.
"We couldn't stop smiling, so I had to share it," she said.
The unexpected holiday spirit carried back home and inspired Jackson's sister, too, Jones added.
"When my daughter got home from school, that's all they wanted to talk about. We actually watched the Polar Express, because it got us in the holiday mood," she chuckled.
A subsequent Facebook post detailing the Jones' unexpected visit with Santa garnered over 1,500 likes and 160 comments. Jones apparently isn't the only one who's been rung up by Santa at Walmart.
"It was just refreshing to even read the comments and see how many people's lives he's touched. We can all relate to that kindness," Jones said.
One can only assume that Jackson will certainly now remain on good behavior for the rest of the year. He knows that Santa is not only watching. He's also working at the local Walmart.
"I'll be waiting in his line for sure, all season long," smiled Jones.