Almost exactly 2 years ago Tyler and I saw a cute playhouse at Cosco. It was the nicest playhouse we had ever seen for the price. There was only one left. We decided it would make a fun birthday present for Ella, so we bought it. Tyler went one night, bought it, & put it in our garage. We decided not to give it to Ella for her birthday that year however since we were planning to move soon, and it would be much easier to move in the box it came in (un-assembled.) Before Tyler had a chance to hide the playhouse, Ella (who has an eye for detail & a very keen memory.) Noticed the box with a small little drawing of the house & asked us about it. We played dumb like we didn't know what she was talking about & hid it quickly. We finally moved into the rental house we are currently living in. During the moving process we took precautions to make sure Ella didn't see the playhouse again. We've had the house 2 years now. Every now & then Ella asks about it, but as usual we play dumb. Shortly after Christmas this year Ella came to me upset.
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Ella: Mom, Santa forgot to bring me my playhouse.
Me: What are you talking about? What playhouse? (I seriously didn't know what she was talking about at this time, it had been almost a year since she had mentioned it.)
Ella: A playhouse that was in the garage at our old house. I saw it. It was in a box & dad will have to put it together. Is that so rude that Santa forgot to bring it to me? Maybe the Easter Bunny will bring it to me? Will you tell the Easter bunny to bring it since Santa forgot?
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The fact that Ella has seen the playhouse in our garage & is asking me to tell the Easter Bunny to bring it to her, makes me think that she knows that neither the Easter Bunny nor Santa are real. Maybe I'm wrong, but I get the feeling she knows, but she's playing along for my sake. She knows that Tyler and I are the ones bringing her gifts, and that we have fun saying they are from Santa & she doesn't want to spoil our fun.
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I've been so careful to hide the evidence. When she was only 2, I bought a different wrapping paper than our usual wrapping paper to wrap the gifts from Santa, because I knew that Ella (even at a young age) would notice if Santa used the same gift wrap & question it.
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I guess we'll just go on pretending there's an Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, & Santa Claus, and she'll go on pretending to believe.
4 comments:
When one of my nephews was 7 he figured it out as well. He told him mom that the story of Santa "just doesn't make sense!" Dang those logical thinking kids! : )
well she may not get it.. she may just think you provide the gifts for Santa to bring??? She's to little to think he's not real isn't she??
Oh my word! That little genious --Yea, I would play along and be in denial to have fun with the whole thing as long as possible! If it wasn't for that rude Santa!
I don't think Jane really buys it either, but we don't really want her to. I have horrible memories of feeling betrayed and made a fool of when I found out there wasn't a santa. I never want to make my kids feel that way, so I just kind of ignore the whole Santa and don't answer direct questions about him.
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