photo by Dan4th
My son still believes in the Easter bunny. And Santa. And the Tooth Fairy. He’s almost 11, so every year I wonder, will this be the year when all his “role models” will be exposed for who they really are?
He came to me the day before Easter and asked, “Mom, are you the one who hides my eggs?” I asked him what he believed. (Always answer a question with a question when you don’t have a good answer.) He thought about it for a moment. “I still believe in the Easter bunny,” he said.
Which meant I had to once again scurry to hide eggs in the dark that night when I walked the diva Chihuahua. Yes, my life would be easier if I didn’t have to pretend to be these larger-than-life figures. I wouldn’t have to sneak around stealthily hiding eggs and candy, or set my alarm to ensure I don’t fall asleep on Christmas eve before putting presents under the tree (one of my worst nightmares), or hold my breath while I rummage under my son’s pillow for his tiny tooth.
The look of sheer joy and delight on my son’s face when he wakes up to discover these surprises makes all the worry and lost sleep worth it. It’s okay that he woke me up at 6:45 on Easter Sunday and dragged me outside into the cold, damp morning to search for eggs with him. Walking behind him down our backyard path, watching him swing his colorful wicker Easter basket in his footie pajamas made me wish he could stay young and innocent forever.
Of course, after he consumed major amounts of chocolate and jellybeans he was so jacked-up and annoying, I couldn’t wait for his grandma to pick him up and take him away for the day. But during that morning hunt, I had as much fun as he did. I rue the day when he discovers Santa, the TF, and the Easter Bunny are just plain, old Mom.
singlewritermomrants 
Apr 01, 2013 @ 14:06:11
My daughter is 9 yo, and she asks me the same questions every holiday! I do the exact same as you.. “Well,what do you think?” Yep, still believes. It would be much easier if she knew the truth. Although, her little brother is 3 and I have a feeling she will ruin it for him. So, I will let it be.
Great post.. Loved that picture of the bunny. hahahaha
Apr 01, 2013 @ 16:34:33
Oh noooo! She can’t ruin it for him. She just can’t! You’ll have to bribe her to keep the secret…new clothes, a car when she’s 16…and if she blows it? Either tell her she’ll spend eternity in Hell (my personal favorite), or that you’ll embarrass her by singing loudly whenever you’re in public together (choosing the song that is most popular with her age group at the time), or you’ll show her first serious boyfriend her most ridiculous baby pics.
Apr 01, 2013 @ 15:56:16
Have you considered he might be playing you?
Apr 01, 2013 @ 16:22:58
My son play me? Never! He’s too afraid of going to Hell. It’s not physically possible for him to lie to me. He tries, but then he starts laughing.
Apr 01, 2013 @ 17:42:34
Ohhh this is so sweet!! I miss when my kids were young and asking these questions. You handled it beautifully by answering his question with a question. And yes, one day soon enough he will no longer believe….hang onto these precious moments!
Apr 01, 2013 @ 22:14:49
Actually, if I had my way I’d keep him a baby. 0-18 months was my favorite stage. I loooooove babies. I always try to convince my friends to have another baby so I can get my baby fix, but no one ever goes for it. Whenever I see one in a store I just want to squeeze their little head and bite them, but I’ve found that parents don’t really like that and Security is often called.
Apr 03, 2013 @ 19:40:27
Maybe when he gets older, you can have him hide the eggs for you to find. Indoors and at a reasonable hour. Or you can hide them anyway. I have vague memories of searching for eggs that I knew my parents hid. But it was the 70s and lots of crazy stuff happened then.
Apr 04, 2013 @ 08:12:07
My mom used to hide the eggs, too, even after I knew she was the one doing it. The Santa thing could work in my favor financially though. Instead of 10 presents from Mom and 10 presents from Santa, it will become 5 presents from Mom. Period!