The wires are buzzing with hundreds of news stories about government and Google-sponsored ultra-high-tech Santa Claus-tracking technology so that your kids can keep an eye on the jolly old guy as he goes about his travels.

But what child would rather monitor a computer screen remotely than actually hear Santa calling and speaking to them one-on-one in a real-live telephone conversation? Bonus: the Claus calls even remind your children to be good or risk ending up on the naughty list - a lifesaver for some of the frustrated parents out there who have had it up to here with the frantic holiday antics!

There are lots of options available, all at different price points. Here are some top picks at a three-cost tier ranging from free to five dollars to fifty dollars and above:

Going from the bottom up, first we have a free service from DialMyCalls.com, who has partnered with Santa for three years running to offer this phone service.

"[Our] partnership with Santa Claus has one goal in mind, spread holiday cheer to as many children and families as possible," said DialMyCalls CEO David Batchelor. "We hope that the calls are able to make children smile on Christmas Eve as they patiently wait to open presents in the morning."

The DialMyCalls Santa website gives parents easy instructions on setting up a personalized message for up to three free phone calls per household.

First step is to select your child's name and the message you want Santa to send. Sample messages are available for you to check out on the site, but here is one example:

"Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho! Hello Adam, this is Santa Claus! I received your Christmas list and the elves and I have been busy working on the toys you want. Since you've been good this year I'll try my best to fit everything that you want into the sleigh. Have a very Merry Christmas! Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho!"

Next step, you pick the time, date and phone number you want the call sent to. Then Santa creates a personalized message and sends the call at the pre-determined time. If you have a big family and need more than the three free phone calls allotted, you can opt to purchase additional calls for a nominal fee.

Moving on to Tier Two, SendSantaCalls.com offers a longer and more personal experience when your kids get their chance to talk to Santa Claus. You can opt to have Santa call your child and remind them to be "extra special good because Christmas is coming soon" with the "Be Good" call option. An alternative is the "Merry Christmas" call where Santa personally rings your child up to wish them a very Merry Christmas. You can listen to samples of both options on the website -- the second one goes something like this:

"Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas, Lindsey! This is Santa Claus and I'm calling you all the way from the North Pole. I was busy trying to make my list but I needed help figuring out who was naughty and nice this year, so I decided to call your mommy and daddy. They told me that you've been at the top of their nice list all year long," Santa says. "Now I had my elves check my list again because we do check it twice and they found out that not only have you been good all year, but you have been the best kid in Kentucky. I even had the elves tell all the reindeer about how good you've been and that we were coming to stop and visit your house first!"

"You may not know this but my elves stay busy all year long making toys for all the good boys and girls around the world. Now I had the elves bring me your list and I see you want a new hamster. Now I won't say that you'll find everything you want under your Christmas tree, but if you're extra special good I'll see what I can do, ok? Oh my, the time sure does fly and I do have a lot of other little boys and girls on my list to check on. But I just wanted to give you a special call to let you know that Mrs. Claus and I are so proud of you for being such a good girl. Now don't forget to leave me some milk and cookies, and you have a Merry, Merry Christmas. And remember, Santa's always watching!"

SendSantaCalls.com has an easy three-step ordering process. Step 1: Choose the type of call you'd like to send. Step 2: Personalize your call using the customized drop-down boxes. Step 3: Schedule your call for later or send it now, only $4.99.

And finally, on to the upper echelon of personal Santa phone call choices: successful since its inception in 2005, "Santa Calls Me" is a family-owned business that actually offers live, interactive calls from Santa Claus designed to "delight your children with the magic of Christmas."

The "Santa Calls Me" website emphasizes the importance the company commands on customer service and offers a money-back satisfaction guarantee.

The prices are hefty, but there are also great add-on features that your children and family can treasure forever. To receive a call on Christmas Eve will cost $29.99 and on Christmas Day you'll pay $32.99. Santa can talk to up to four children per call and each additional child will run you an extra $4.99.

LatinPost.com interviewed the owner of "Santa Calls Me," Kevin Lowry, who described the typical experience his company provides.

"An average call starts with Santa ringing up ... and asking to speak with the child by name, and then Santa takes the time to share why he is calling and speaks to each individual child for six-to-ten minutes," Lowry said. "Santa really likes to focus on the positive aspects of the year for each child. That being said, he will bring up one or two things the child could improve on for next year."

"Santa will also share secrets about the North Pole, his reindeer, and the elves. Santa will end the call to take care of some business at the North Pole and with a 'Ho! Ho! Ho!' and a 'Merry Christmas!' a magical Christmas memory has been made," Lowry said.

The company offers some great extras to complement the phone call.

For $9.99 parents can order a personalized "Official North Pole Nice List" certificate with their child's name engraved on it.

Parents can also opt to order an audio recording of your child's phone call on a CD, which will run you $15.99 for the first copy. If you want multiple CDs for each child, the company offers additional recordings at $4.99 each.