The Santa Memories

Aaron figured out the truth about Santa when he was in kindergarten. It was Easter. Yes, my friends - you read that right - Easter. I was tucking him into bed, and he asked, "Mom, it's not really possible for a bunny to carry all those eggs and candy, is it?"
Now, a long time before I had promised myself that when my kids started asking questions, I wasn't going to lie. So, I asked "What do you think, Aaron - if a bunny isn't doing it, then who is?" His eyes got wide, as the truth dawned on him and he pointed my way and said "You are!" I smiled and nodded and winked at him and he giggled and I told him that now he was in on the secret and he could help keep the story going for his little sister. He loved being part of that.
Then, he cocked his head and said "What about Santa?"
Again, I asked, "What do you think, Aaron?"
He looked worried - really worried, and I wondered if he wasn't ready to hear this much yet. Then he said, "Mom, how can you afford toys for all the kids in the world?"
I had to set the record straight after I held in my laugh. (Aaron, buddy - hate to tell 'ya...I'm good...but I'm not THAT good!) It only made sense - I was his sister's preschool music teacher, (and was his previously), I had been their Sunday school teacher, and I volunteered in his classroom. I was the typical stay-at-home soccer mom! Why not deliver packages all over the world once a year - in a night? Ha!

We had tons of fun with keeping the Santa secret, too. Aaron gnawed carrots and threw them out in the snow one Christmas Eve, to trick his sister into believing the reindeer had a snack. (And almost won an award for "Best Over-Actor" when he feigned surprise -for about 10 minutes straight - the next morning...He went ON and ON and ON about the half-eaten carrots in the snow on the front lawn and how the only way they could have gotten there was hungry reindeer...)

When my parents moved to town, when both kids were still "believers", my dad came and put the gifts under our tree when we went out to a friends for an evening. My dad put his boots in our fireplace, and made ash boot prints on the hearth (a trick he once did for me as a child), and boy, were my kids excited to see that upon returning home!

The kids are older now, but we have lots of great memories! And, some day I know my kids will be sharing their stories with their children. We've made some great memories. The Santa memories are some of my favorites!