Glitter Pop

Glitter Pop: verb.  When a child that is way too young bursts his/her parents' bubble when it comes to Santa, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc.

Walking home from school this morning (yes, school.  If we homeschool, it won't be until next year), Little Viking (who is 5-years-old and not yet in school) told me that he wishes it was still Christmas time.

"But we have other holidays coming up," I said.  "Like Easter.  Should the Easter Bunny bring Easter cookies again this year?"

Viking Toddler replied, in a very calm, and matter-of-fact tone, "Mom, the Easter Bunny isn't real."

*face palm*

"What do you mean?  You don't believe in the Easter Bunny?" I asked.

"No," he said.  "He's not real."

"Why do you think that?  Where did you learn that?"

"I recognized the shapes of the cookies.  I think you made them," he said.  No emotion, just stating a fact.  He might as well have said the sky is blue.

I could take a couple of roads here.  I could flat out lie and say, "But he is real!"  Or, I could ignore his question, or, I could say, "Yes, you're right."  I took the latter.

"Ok, you got me.  I did make the cookies.  The Easter Bunny is just a fun story that we tell kids around Easter.  Just don't tell your brother."

He was OK with knowing for a fact that the Easter Bunny isn't real.  He's OK with knowing that it is just a story.  What confused him is why he shouldn't tell.

"He wants to believe, so let him," I answered.

This had gone over the philosophical line.  He started muttering and wondering out loud why it could possibly be a bad thing to tell his brother a fact.

I see trouble coming.