Santa got run over by a rabbit

So, long story, sorry, but...

My daughter sort of swallowed a piece of candy wrong the other day after school and scared her tutor. She didn't really choke on it but they went to see the nurse just to make sure she was OK. The tutor came out to tell me about it in person and I wasn't upset, it was just one of those things that happen sometimes.

Anyway we were talking about that at dinner and I joked "maybe I'll buy Mrs. E. a big jar of candy from the Easter Bunny." Then I deliberately threw an "oops" face at my son, because he's 9 1/2 now, and I've been wanting to tell him the truth about the Easter Bunny. So it seemed like a good opening, to "accidentally" tell him. (He still watches for Santa every year and gets upset if he doesn't get to the mall for a visit. It's time.)

I waited for the light bulb to go on, and it didn't. Mr. C gave it a try. "Dude, how big do you think the Easter Bunny is?" D started gesturing this big, etc.

I said, "Well, the easter bunny is about my size..."and looked at him pointedly.

Lonnnnnnnng silence.

"Because... it's me."

He blinked, finally, and then shot into denial. "No, Mom, stop. That's not funny." Indignant. Offended. I was talking about The Rabbit. So I said, well, I can prove it... and I took his hand, and showed him his Easter candy for this year.

Then, of course, the tears started. Because, he figured out that, "So this means Santa... and the Tooth Fairy..."

He was crushed, and on the edge of bitter. So we had to explain that we didn't want some older kid at school to tell him, and get him MORE upset, and laugh at him and call him a baby, because he is big now, and he gets to be part of the magic and the fun, for the younger cousins in our family. It was hard when I told him, you're not my baby any more, you're a big kid, and parents let go of their kids and let them get older even though they may not want to. "Why?" Ugh.

Things turned when he realized that B had never figured out that I buy their Easter candy from the school fundraiser every year. For some reason her confusion got him to laugh. Mostly because she played it up in a blonde sort of way. "

He laughed even harder when I described a Christmas eve when I asked someone (I think it was my brother) to go out and make footprints on the fresh snow on the deck, from the stairs to the patio door and back. For some reason my brother said "Do I have to walk backwards the whole time so the footprints go in the right direction?" (um, walk to the stairs, and back.... ) and it cracked us up when I reenacted it.

So he's a little annoyed (that I throw his teeth away), but the worst seems to be over because he figured out he'll still get gifts. I said that this year we can do Secret Santa and each one of us can have a person we'll surprise. Plus, there will be 3 younger cousins, if all goes well.

But it was a horrible day; Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy are all gone now. No more babies here.