Is Santa real?

Being a Mom of seven children, I've been asked that question about seven thousand times..."is Santa real?"

Now that my youngest is seven years old, I admit I am reluctant to let the magic of Santa go away like the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

I like Santa. I love the whole Santa Claus-North Pole-little toy-making-elves Deal! It takes me to my happy place just thinking about it! I love this time of year when one of "Santa's helpers" sit in the beautiful red velvet chair at the Mall, listening to little dreamers and wishers share with him.

My 9 year old looks at me suspiciously as he STATES: "you and Dad are Santa. I know it." His voice isn't firm with conviction, though logically I believe he knows the answer, still there is a question in his voice. The Caboose is not asking whether Santa is real or not--she tells me that her neighbor friends do not believe in Santa but she does!

Again, there is a question in her voice. Both of the kids are at that age where they want to believe in a kind soul named Santa Claus who is magical and rides around in a sleigh filled with toys, driven by flying reindeer....but they're really too smart for that...maybe.

So when the question comes up, I always say, "What do you think?" That lets me off the hook from having to be the bad guy...now, when they come to me, seriously and ask, I tell them all about St. Nicholas and the true story of his life...that he was a good man who loved children and gave them gifts at Christmastime. And then I tie it to Jesus Christ--from Whom we have received the Greatest Gift of all...eternal life. Our tradition of the Four Gifts of Christmas helps with the transition.

We do have a saying in the house tho, to help keep the Magic alive, even a little, during this sweet season of giving and it is: "If ya wanna recieve, ya gotta believe"--this keeps the older kids in the spirit of the season with a little magic added.

So yes, I believe Santa is as real as we need him to be in our lives, whatever age we are.