A Little Seasonal Magic Redirect

So...plug your ears or shield your eyes if you’re a child under the age of eight who is reading/listening to this (which is highly unlikely, but I soooooo don’t wanna be responsible for any unintentional spoiler alerts).

Okay.

Now.

Big news to report (except it didn’t really feel that big at all):

The magical ruse is up for this cutie pie:

Chica. Beautiful, intelligent, kind-hearted, firstborn of my womb (yup, I went there), has officially joined the ranks of in-the-know humans who know the truth about Santa (aaaaand, I just realized how perfect that picture above really is, ha).

And you know what? It really was a non-issue having the conversation (deep sigh of relief).

Truthfully, I was shocked—shocked—that we made it through last year’s holiday season with the Magic still in tact, as she was asking a ton o’ questions and very openly expressing her disbelief in many components of traditional Christmas lore (mostly centering around reindeer, as she was adamant they cannot logistically fly, ha).

So while I thought seven years old was a smidge too young to give up on the imagination of it all, I was prepared to have the conversation in December of last year—mostly to spare Chicklet and Little Man the despair of picking up on their older sissy’s disbelieving vibes and losing faith themselves.

Alas, something magical happened, and a few weeks before Christmas, Chica just stopped voicing any questions, and seemed blissfully happy to go along with the charade. So I never had to address it and we had a glorious holiday where I truly think she still believed.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when the first of our holiday musings began, and right from the get-go, Chica was voicing adamant doubt over the whole shebang. And my tactical evasion (Well, what do you think?) when she posed direct questions like Is Santa real? just wasn’t cutting it. With little sibling ears nearby, mind you.

So...in the interest of protecting the other little believers of the house, I spoke with the hubby and asked permission to spill the beans the next time the opportunity presented itself. And he agreed—with the caveat that he wanted to at least be home when I told Chica, in case things went nuclear and backup was needed, ha.

Thankfully, an easy opportunity presented itself the following week, and Chica and I were able to have the easiest, sweetest, bedtime convo that was truly no big deal. As expected, she felt more vindicated than crushed, and she was more than a little excited (and puffed up) to know that she was now in-the-know.

Since then, I’ve caught her in a handful of adorably sweet moments where she gives me The Look or wiggles her eyebrows a bit when magical Christmas subjects arise, and it’s just so darn precious to see her embrace her new knowledge with happiness and a tiny bit of purpose to help her siblings out.

Naturally, as part of our spill-the-beans talk, I reminded her that every kiddo discovers the truth at their own pace, and it’s not something to bring up at school, or with friends, or in Target, in case she might unintentionally crush someone’s joy. And she understood this solemn secret-keeping role and accepted it as part of her newfound Christmas responsibility.

And so, the circle of seasonal life continues, m’peeps

Hilariously, just a couple short days after this big truth-telling, my stinking-adorable and beloved Chicklet lost a tooth (after eight months of no dental action, ha). See smile below:



I mean, just look at that adorable gap...



And it was particularly adorable to watch Chica immediately connect the dots about The Tooth Fairy, as well. Just another Look from her and a Nod from me, and that was all it took.

I’m so grateful to have this slightly-major life moment happen without any drama or hysterics. Just goes to show the timing was right for my eldest. And she’s still so joyful about the holiday season, so I don’t think one ounce of the true Magic has been lost.

And on the subject of magic...we watched the most gloriously imaginative and jolly family move this weekend from Netflix:

I mean...it’s a serious holiday treat—and a musical, to boot! I highly recommend.

Aaaaand, I also highly recommend this other new, Netflix gem:



Another one with music (that my kiddos have already made me download, and force me to play every time we’re in the car), with some serious fun and feels.

Really, peeps. Both are fantastic enough that even an adult can enjoy. :)

And now, because I can’t wrap up this magical Monday post without a shot of my boy...I give you Little Man and I around lunchtime. High on doodles and our lounge day.

Happy Monday, peeps.

Can’t believe it’s the week before Thanksgiving!

Over and out.