Why Can't We All Just Get Along and Believe In Santa Claus?

My oldest daughter Alex has always enjoyed fantasy more than reality. She was only 3 when she first started playing with Barbies; which seemed really young to me at the time.

Apparently there are alot of younger children these days enamored with this icon of fashion. I never liked them, but she and her friends would play pretend for hours with these dolls.

I always found them too hard to dress, but a wise girl once told me that all you had to do was get them all dressed and then just change their heads around---Sheer genius! But let's not diverge.....

Apparently during one of these play dates her best friend, Danielle, decided to educate Alex on some of the realities of life. This particular day's lesson was: Santa Clause, Fact or Fiction?

I was still feeling kinda new at the parenting thing, (somehow I think I will always feel that way since it seems to be a constantly evolving process) so it didn't really occur to me that kids would be having such heavy discussions. I would have loved to have been a fly on that wall!

I found out about this little debate between friends several days later in the car. Alex and I were alone and she pipes up from the back seat saying; Momma, Danielle says that Santa Claus isn't real, is he real?

When she asked that question, I heard that sound you hear on tv, you know the one, where the needle is scratching across the record? Yep, that's the sound I heard.

Ok, real, real, is Santa Claus real......Well, Alex, why doesn't she think he is real? There we go answer a question with a question!

Alex: She says that if it isn't in the bible then it isn't real, I don't remember ever seeing anything about Santa in the bible. Is he?

Me: That's a very good point Alex, Santa is not in the bible, but then again neither am I, and I'm pretty sure I'm real.

HA! I got her on that one, victory is just around the corner, and I have avoided the answer!

Alex: Mooooooommmmmm. Seriously, is he real?

Good grief, she is only seven, what is wrong with believing in something so completely fantastic as a little man who flies around the world, in a sleigh, led by tiny reindeer, to deliver toys made by little elves throughout the preceding months, then given to good little boys and girls on one fantastic night of the year?

Ok, when you put it like that it does sound a little out there........

Anyway, I look at her through the rearview mirror and confess the lie her father and I had been telling her all her life, one of many, she was to soon find out. (Or in my opinion too soon to find out.)

She mulls over my confession and says, So the Barbie dream house was from you? Yep. The baby doll and stroller? From me and dad. The stuff in my stocking? Us again, we've been found out.

She sits there silently for a minute and then says; What about the Tooth Fairy?

I don't even look at her in the mirror, I just cheerfully sing out "Made It Up!" She throws her hands up in the air and says "Man!"

I really hated that the fantasy could not go on longer. It is this innocence of childhood that I wish children could hang onto, at least through their middle school years. There will be plenty of time when they are grown to deal with reality.

Her sister was just a baby at the time, so I told her now that she knew the truth, she could help us play Santa to her little sister, but it was not her place to educate her sister or anyone else for that matter with the truth about St. Nick. She agreed to keep the truth to herself, and was very excited about the upcoming role she would get to play come December.

Yesterday, Ray said Abby had him trapped in the truck and said, Daddy, I want to ask you something, and I want you to tell me the truth!

Ha! You will never guess what it was; Santa Claus---Tee Hee! As soon as I get the blow by blow from Ray, I will report back.......

Peace Out