Full Confession...The Crushing of Childhood Fantasies

Some of you may remember when I told Mr. C that the "Advent Angel" was just a fabricated person.

The other day he asked me if Santa is real. So far, I've been able to dodge the question saying things like, "If you believe in him, than he's real to you" and, "St. Nicholas was a real person...". But I felt it was time. And Superman and I decided that if we were going to let him know about Santa, we may as well dash his dreams of the Easter Bunny, Leprechauns, and the Treasure Troll,* too.

*The Treasure Troll is another fictional character I created years back. When we go on trail walks or hikes, this "Treasure Troll" puts an "X" somewhere along our route. If we find the "X," he will leave something back at the car for the kids. Sometimes it's some little 5-cent trinket...other times it's root beer. He doesn't always show up...just when he has time. It's a fun little tradition that makes our family hikes even more exciting.

Anyhoo, after a long conversation about how mommy and daddy are Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Treasure Troll, and the Leprechaun (who always leaves green dust behind as evidence of his visit on St. Patrick's Day), I think I actually let out a sigh of relief. It felt good to come clean with him. We told him not to spoil the fun for the other kids. So far, he's kept good on his word about the Advent Angel. I think it's our new policy that when our kids start asking if someone is real, we'll just lay it out plain and simple for them.

I'm a little sad that Mr. C's time of enjoying all these fictional people has come to a close. but I guess I still have four other kids I can have fun with. And, Mr. C is now my official helper for make-believe adventures.