Goodbye Easter Bunny

Today we were driving and C suddenly insists, "Mama, promise me that you did not put out the things that the Easter Bunny put out." I had an idea about what he was asking so I asked, "What do you mean?" Again, "Promise me that you didn't put out the stuff that the Easter Bunny put out." Not much more clarity, but unfortunately he is not going to lose the "promise me" language. Now I am pretty sure I know where this conversation is headed, but I need to distract C until I can get away from K. Really creative, "Hold on C, Mama has to make a quick phone call."

I had some clues that C was starting to connect the dots related to these notorious characters. I had decided that if he ever directly asked me I wouldn't lie. The direct challenge was likely a good indication that he had already come to some conclusions of his own.

Fast forward, we arrive at our destination, K jumps out to play with his friends B and R. I ask C to hold on for just a minute. "What makes you ask about the Easter Bunny?" C explains that a friend of his told him that he saw his parents putting out his Easter candy. Tough to argue with that... I asked him what he thought. He answered that he thought I put his Easter candy/books out too. I asked him if he really wanted to know and he nodded agreement. So I told him that Papa and I put out things for Easter in the spirit of the Easter bunny and Easter. C wants more clarity, "So the Easter Bunny isn't real?" Right. I guess I was naive to hope that would be the end of the discussion, but C wanted to take it all the way. We had to cover St. Nicholas, Santa, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Surprisingly, I think Rudolph was the hardest for him to take. This evening he called me aside again to address the Tooth Fairy.

In the end C did really enjoy being in on this grand secret with me. He is very much looking forward to continuing the game for K and his young cousins. He is under a strict secrecy code, and I think he understands that his new knowledge is not for circulation. He was also really relieved to know that in addition to continuing the "game" for K we could continue it for him as well.