The Truth About Santa

I knew this day would come, in fact, I thought it was going to happen sooner than it did, but it still made me just a bit embarrassed sad ...

In between bites of his Vanilla Creme Frosted Mini-Wheats this morning, and in a most serious tone, my 11 year old son asked, "Mom, is Santa real?"

I must have given him that look of Rudolph caught in the headlights of an 18-wheeler because he just scowled at me. I tried the "Santa is the spirit of Christmas" line which got me, "MOM! I asked if Santa is a real person!" Oh no! Caught in one of the BIGGEST parental lies out there. Now what?

So, I sucked it up and told the truth, of course not until I asked what he thought (gotta test the waters) before coming clean. When he told me he didn't think Santa was real, I spilled the brandied eggnog beans. No son, Santa isn't real. You mother has been lying to you for years now even though she spews the importance of always telling the truth.

I'm thinking the dirty deed is done, my son will now move on in life with the knowledge that his mother is a liar and a hypocrite Santa is not real, but NOOOOOO! He continues to rub it in my face. "So that means that Rudolph and the reindeer are not real? And all those times we sat watching Santa at the NORAD web site go across the country - that wasn't real either? But what about the Santa dollar that was left in my stocking that one year? That was a fake too??" Mommy guilt at it's finest ...

Just wait until he learns about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy!