Easter '11

Jake finally asked. I knew the day was coming but I still wasn't prepared for it:

"Mom, tell me the truth: Is the Easter Bunny real?"

Gulp.

"Well, what do you think?" (stalling)

"I don't really think a giant bunny can hop from house to house all over the world. Seriously Mom, tell me the truth. Is it you and dad that hide the eggs?"

I am not a huge fan of Easter myself. And for some reason the Easter Bunny isn't nearly as sacred to me as Santa so I came clean. The look of disappointment on his face when I answered his question was so sad but he quickly

got over it. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before more questions surfaced - this time concerning the plausability of a fat man in a red suit flying through the air in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Double gulp.

Yep, not two days later we were driving alone in the car when he asked me, "Mom, tell me the truth: Is Santa Claus real?"

"Well, what do you think?" (stalling and trying not to panic)

"Mom, come on, don't lie to me. Do you and Dad put things in our stockings?"

"Yeah, you know that. We always put stuff in the stockings." (stalling... stalling...)

"OK, but does anyone BESIDES you put stuff in the stockings?"

"Yes" - (Thinking to myself, I am not lying. Sometimes dad or grandmas put stuff in stockings. Is being evasive the same as lying???)

"OK but does SANTA put things in the stockings? Is Santa real? Do you believe in Santa?"

Long pause. (THINK, THINK, THINK. Why don't they teach you about these moments in parenting school?)

"Jake, Santa exists in my heart and you can decide on your own if you believe in him" (oh,

yeah... that's brilliant, Mom!)

He wasn't quite satisfied with that answer but after asking the same question several more times and getting the same answer, he turned on the iPod and found his new favorite song to blast.

OK. So I chickened out- took the easy way out. But I am not ready for these questions. And I am definitely not ready for my baby to not believe in Santa.