Now I'm ruining it for other people's children

MK will verify this: there are some things about parenting that come naturally to me. However, there are some things I just don't do well.

The one that comes to mind today is the Tooth Fairy. MK woke up more than once after losing a tooth to find her pillow bare. She would come into my room and tell me that the Tooth Fairy had forgotten her. Then I would surreptitiously scoop up some change and walk with her into her room and play the, "Oh, it's right here" game. She probably knew what I was doing, but she played along.

Today during our spelling test, the word was "observant." I talked about how observant kids are and how MK never said that she knew what I was doing. In the middle of the story, though, I realized that these kids are only in 4th grade, and it's very possible that some still believed. I tried to backtrack, but they caught on, and it began the "I already know" discussion. One boy, however, walked up to me and, with the most sincere expression, said, "I know; God does it."

So, I really hope I haven't taken away a little childhood from him and maybe some others who didn't speak up. One girl raised her hand and asked, "Is Santa real?" (I knew that she knew and was just being a smart aleck.) I did not answer and said it was time for Math.