"That" Christmas

I have been dreading this moment for 6 Christmases now. And yes I am about to get sappy on you.

That Christmas that would be Mason's very last as a believer. I think we may be at "That" Christmas and it breaks my heart.

Mason has always just went with Christmas. You know, how kids do. Santa is real, the elf really does all of these amazing things, Santa brings the presents and eats the cookies and watches to make sure that you are good throughout the year.

They accept it, because that is the way it is.

This year he is asking a lot of questions. It all started with our trip to the Christmas train after which Mason quietly informed me that he didn't think that the Santa there was the real Santa. He couldn't give me a reason why he thought this, or wouldn't rather, he just didn't think that was him.

Then there were more questions.

How does he see everything everyone is doing?

How does he go to everyone's house?

How is he magical?

Good solid questions. Nothing that any kid wouldn't wonder, but his aren't asked in a "how" way. They are asked in a "I don't know if I believe what you are saying or not" kind of way.

Then the questions of Charley came into play. This morning he told me that he didn't think Charley left every night. That he doesn't report to Santa, he just hangs around our house.

I am at a loss. I feel him slipping away by the day. He's losing his belief and it breaks my heart. I try to remember how old I was when I realized that Christmas worked a tad bit differently than I had thought, but I cannot for the life of me remember. He will be 7 in a few days and I cannot help to think that that is too young. Or maybe I just feel like by him no longer believing, he is no longer a little boy.

I'm prepping for the talk.

What will be the 1st of 3 talks.

Damn you time and your insistence on speeding by!

But if it isn't time and instead some snot nosed little turd at his school who is attempting to squash his innocent Christmas spirit.... Well, this momma is going to have to put a Santa sized whoppin' one some kid!

And yes, my Alabama just came out and I said whoopin'.