Tooth Fairy...Fact or Fiction?

A couple of weeks ago Carter was hanging out in the kitchen with me. Russ and Alex were out of the house so we were having some one-on-one bonding time. I don't remember what we were talking about, but I do remember when he abruptly changed the subject..."Mom, is the tooth fairy real?" Be still my heart! He is my last baby! He is supposed to believe until I have passed on to the other side! To be perfectly honest, I don't really care if he gives up his great belief in a glitter-winged pixie that sneaks in to steal used teeth. However, I DO care what eliminating that belief will do to the credibility of the tooth fairy's cohorts such as the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus (this above all else!).

I should preface by saying that Alex's childhood unraveled exactly one year ago (he was a little late in "letting go" but who was I to argue!) in the middle of P.F. Changs. One minute he was asking me about the tooth fairy. The next, it was good ole EB and St. Nick. I thought he was asking because he knew and wanted confirmation. Turns out, he was asking because he had "heard through the grapevine" and wanted proof to dispute it. It was a holy nightmare! He was trying not to cry and I desperately wanted to reel in my words. I couldn't even eat my lettuce wraps! It was a long afternoon. A rite of passage? Yes. Time to give it up? Yes. Heartbreaking for both of us? Unbelievably.

Despite the trauma of Alex's "big reveal", I have always said that I would tell them the truth when they asked. That being said, I was a bit more cautious this time around...

Me: "Well, Carter, what do you think?"

C: "I think it's kind of weird. I mean, why does she want to pay you money for old teeth?"

Me: "Do you want me to be totally honest with you?"

C: "Uh, yeah."

Me: "Do you know what a myth is?"

C: "Something you believe is true, but it's really not." (I have to confess, I was a bit shocked by his knowledge on this subject.)

Me: "Exactly, buddy. So, the tooth fairy is a myth. It's fun for kids to believe in and for moms and dads to participate in. It's part of the fun and magic of childhood."

C: "I knew it! This is crazy! Wait until I tell Alex!" (not a hint of disappointment)

Me: "Alex already knows."

C: "Wh-at? Are you kidding me? Who else knows about this? "

This is the point where he grows a bit perturbed. Not about a well loved childhood myth being debunked, but about being kept in the dark while his older brother was in the know. To my amazement, he did not proceed with the natural line of thinking...I heaved a huge sigh of relief when he left the kitchen, chomping on cookie dough. I know that I have at least one more year of him falling asleep with visions of sugarplums dancing in his head...