Is Santa {really} Real?

We took the boys on the Polar Express train ride a while back. We knew it would include some make-believe along the way and the truth is, that's why we went.

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We like make-believe around here. See:

There's something about the {magic} of make-believe; about the wonderment of 'anything is possible'. It ignites the eyes. It's pre-bills and pre-work.to.do and pre-sleeplessness and pre-bitterness and pre-, well, pre-adult. It's what {is} childhood. Don't I wish sometimes, to return to the land of make-believe? Maybe that's why I'm on this train.

I used to make-believe that I was Anne of Green Gables. I would wrap my parent's Christmas tree skirt around my waist and frolick through the fields. It made me just about this happy too:

To say we were excited about this train ride would be a pure, solid understatement. We were simply ecstatic. All of us.

Jaxson wasn't real sure what to expect. Afterall, it was his very first make-believe experience. He peered out the window, catching a fair dose of the contageous excitement from his brothers. What was to come? What was all this hub-bub about???

Does it pretty much boil down to this guy? Good 'ol Saint Nick in all his glory. What a guy!

He came aboard with his {redness}; even ringing bells and singing elves in tow. What a show. What a delite. What a {magical} evening for our family!

JD and I had decided we'd go along with the whole "Santa" thing for a while. The kids would get a Santa gift and we'd do the cookies and milk thing but it definitely wouldn't be a FOCUS of Christmas. I mean, JD and I both believed in Santa and turned out okay. I, admittedly embarassed, was a Santa-believer until at least 7th grade. Just when I'd share with my dad a tiny bit of skepticism, out would come the movie, 'Miracle on 34th St'. He believed; and so did I. I never asked...I just tried, on my own, to figure it out. Eventually, I did...about the same time I learned that the moon really wasn't made of cheese.

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The problem with adopting this theory of Santa is that I don't have 'figure it out' kids. I have 'ask point blank' kids. I don't have little people who were like me. They don't share their skeptisism; they share their questions. They want answers. {Real} ones. This really screwed up the whole Santa plan we had going.

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Fast forward to last Thursday. Christmas is long-gone. The celebration is waning, the decor is tucked away, and we're on to the New Year that January pushes us into. Ryan and I are driving home from school when another question conversation ensues:

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Ryan: "Mom, is Santa real? I mean, is he {really} real?"

Me: "Well sure. Saint Nick was a real man who made real toys for real orphans a {really} long time ago." (I'm feeling proud of my response at this point).

Ryan: "No, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about SANTA...and the sleigh, the reighndeer, and all of that....is that stuff REAL?"

Me: "Repeat of previous response" (maybe he just didn't hear me????)

Ryan: (Getting impatient) "No. What I want to know is, is Santa...in the red suit...at the North Pole with elves and stuff...is he {really} real or just FAKE?"

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Long Pause (I'm thinking that we had this great plan. I mean, JD and I have gone back and forth about this whole Santa situation. How can you tell your kids that Santa and Jesus are BOTH {really} real when you only mean that Jesus is {really} real and Santa is {really} not real. But then again, we both turned out okay and have a strong faith foundation of Who Jesus is and who Santa {isn't}. But Jack's not here and I am so what the heck am I going to tell this kid who is asking me POINT blank for the T>R>U>T>H?)

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Me: "No, Ryan. Santa at the N.Pole is NOT {really} real. He is make-believe. He and his elves are a fun pretend story that we like to make-believe because it's exciting to think about. But you know who {really} is real?

Ryan: "hmm?"

Me: "Jesus. He's {really} real. He {really} came to his Earth as an infant and died on a cross as payment for our sins so that we can go to heaven and live with Him there. He's {really} real and Santa is {really} make-believe.

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Long Pause. Ryan's taking it in.

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Ryan: "Um, mom? Can I ask you a question?"

Me: "Always."

Ryan: "Then...who ate the cookies?"

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I used to think we had it kinda figured out. We could teach our kids the {truth} and make-believe at the same time. We had, after all, a plan. It's not that I think my parents (or JD's parents) did it wrong. They in fact, did a LOT right. But I think we just drew a different kind of kid-card. I reached a point in parenting when I simply could not, NOT tell the {truth}. I don't want them to grow into who they are believing that Santa will bring them anything they desire. The truth is, Santa is going to disappoint and it's kinda the tip of the iceberg.

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Just ask Jaxson.

There's a place in the middle though. Santa's not bad. He's not the devil. Make-believe doesn't equal no faith. The truth is the truth and make-believe is make-believe. I'm thinking at this point, that maybe there's a little room for both so long as we know what's {really} real.