Okay, first let me say that I am apparently going to have to grow my hair back out so that the crazy cat lady behind the meat counter at the grocery store doesn't call me 'sir'.

Now that I've got that off my chest, on to tonight's story:
Baby Duck wanted to help me wrap presents, so I let her while Ladybug was napping.  I noticed that something we were wrapping was going to be from Santa for someone.  I was pretty sure she would notice on Christmas morning and call me out as a malicious liar.  I thought about changing my plans for what was from Santa, but then I thought about how I was kind of hoping she would figure it out this year.  I believed so whole-heartedly when I was a child that when I was 7 and found out, well, I had a major meltdown.  I still remember the feelings of betrayal choking my voice as I hysterically yelled at my mom, "So now I guess you're going to tell me there's no tooth fairy, either!!!"  Looking back, I can also remember the shock and hurt on my mom's face as she realized that something that was supposed to be so fun had gone terribly wrong.
So I did it.  I followed the lead my husband had given last time we had to tell her something confusing:  I gave her a conspiratorial look and told her she was old enough to know a super secret.  Then we talked about how Santa was all for fun-- make-believe for grown-ups to leave fun little surprises for their kids.  I said, "So often, grown-ups don't play make-believe anymore.  Christmas is a fun time to play one big game of pretend with their kiddos for a whole month!"
She alternated between looking excited to know a secret and looking like she might cry because she had believed.  That made me very sure that I had done the right thing by not letting it go on another year.  She is so imaginative, just like I was.  I could see her taking it just as hard if she got any more attached to the idea.  She decided she was cool with it when I told her that she got to be in on the pretending for Ladybug now and could even help fill her stocking.  Once she realized that she got to play Santa, too, all was well.  She nodded her head vigorously when I asked her not to ruin it for any other little kids at school, either.  I told her that some of them weren't ready to know yet and it was their parents' job to tell them when it was time.  She did not want to let her new secret slip and was pleased to be in-the-know.  I may have a future CIA agent on my hands...

CL