Yesterday when I was feeling down in the dumps, I tried to improve my mood by thinking about Christmas things that made me happy. I started by re-watching the video of Annie’s Christmas song about Santa, then let my mind drift to memories of when I was a kid and believed in Santa 100%. As I thought about those happy days I realized they really were among the very best Christmases we get to experience.
When my brother and I were little my Dad borrowed a Santa suit and surprised us. We, of course, had no idea it was him and couldn’t believe that we were meeting Santa live and in the flesh.
There is very old video of Kyle and me squealing when Santa comes down the stairs from the second story of our house. My mom always tears up when we watch it, but all I can think is “man, I was so accepting of the fact he didn’t come down the chimney!” Little Heather? Kinda dumb.
And then of course, there are the pictures with Santa at the mall:
Both of those Santas give me the heebie jeebies.
I asked Mike about his memories and he told me about the day his Mom took him and his sister to the mall and snapped this photo:
sweet ‘stache, Santa
Mike, upon getting in line to meet Santa, was very stressed about making sure he told Santa EVERYTHING he wanted, so he memorized the following message: “Hi Santa, I really want a new baseball glove and that ET video game for the Atari.” The line to meet Santa was really long though, so by the time he got to the front he had thought of ten or eleven additional gifts he wanted too. As a result his once pithy message now was closer in length to a Presidential Address. Santa, after listening to Mike breathlessly recount the whole thing, just laughed and said, “Yeah, you better tell your parents all that stuff too, kid. I don’t think Santa will be able to remember it all.” Mike laughs at this story now, but at the time it was all pretty exciting, especially when Santa or, er, his parents, got him that baseball glove he wanted so badly.
Sadly, the magical time when we believe Santa is real comes to an end for all of us eventually. For me it came when I was seven-years-old and was innocently looking at (counting) the presents for me under the tree. It was several days before Christmas, yet I found a couple underneath the tree marked “Love, Santa!”
“Wait a minute,” I thought. “How can a gift be here from Santa already?”
I confronted my Gramma who suggested I was silly to think Santa brought all of his presents on Christmas Eve. Nice cover, Gramma, but I was totally suspicious. I brought it up to my brother, who said, “I know. Yesterday I read something in TV Guide about Santa not being real!” For Mike the dirty news about Santa came at the hands of a know-it-all older kid down the block. The older boy explained Santa was fake, and then just to drive it home, told Mike the true story of where babies come from.
While I realize no kid will believe in Santa forever (except maybe for Brittany on “Glee”), I sure hope I can keep the magic alive long enough for Annie to have a number of incredible Christmases. In this modern world of technology and media it won’t be as easy as it was for our parents. I’m not sure how we’ll do it for our kids, but you can be sure I’ll find a way. I hope you do too!
Also, I really wish I could get my hands on all those awesome plaid pants. Yay 70s!
Becca_Masters says:
Santa’s not real?!?!?
NoL says:
At 1st I was memorized by the plaid combo ( I know my brother & I had a very similar pair of outfits), but now I am a bit obsessed by the cabinet. What is hanging on the side of the china cabinet?
mia says:
Ha! I was wondering the same thing! The fuzzy-looking things on the left, right?
And is that a fake cat on the top?!?
Heather says:
Ok, I’m preeeetty sure it’s a snowman, but I will confirm with my mom. The cat is this random battery operated toy. It would meow and try to move forward but it usually just fell over!!
Elle says:
I’ve been trying to remember when I found out Santa wasn’t real but I don’t know. I think I figured it out myself. But I do remember the first year I knew the truth and there were still kids in my class who believed.
I never said a word to them but of course there has to be a butthead in the bunch and some mean girl told them he was fake.
The Easter bunny is another story. While I was in bed and my mom thought I was slepping, I heard her tell my grandma that she has to make sure to nibble the carrot I left out and write the note that was always left for me.
I should have been relieved that there wasn’t some ginormous bunny that broke into people’s homes to leave candy but it bummed me out. sniff
Elle says:
*sleeping. Once again I can’t spell.
Aimee says:
Sadly my 10 year old (who was most likely teetering on the edge of belief) told me that she ‘figured out’ that her dad and I are really the ones who bring the presents. When I asked her later on how she figured it out she told me the Kmart commercial where all the kids are opening tons of presents and yelling ‘thank you Santa’ but the dad says something like ‘wow! this is great until the bills for all of it come in’ and the mom tells him to relax because she already paid for it all on lay-a-way. And then Sears ” campaign. I get it that she was the last of her friends to find out, but come on!
Tamara says:
I kinda remember the same story in my real life….my parents must have complained about how much everything cost – they explained to me that Santa brought the toys and sent them a bill! I believed it. I may have been 7-ish.
Aimee says:
*the Sears “be the best Santa you can be” campaign..
mia says:
Is it me, or does little Heather look almost nothing like big Heather?
That’s so odd! I’d never guess that was you.
I’m the exact same way. You’d never believe my kid photos are me!
Adrianne says:
That’s funny. I looked at the pictures and thought the exact opposite! I think she looks just the same…well, you know what I mean!
Gail says:
My daughter is 11 now, but a few years ago when she was teetering on the edge of believing, my husband and I made a video. After the kids went to bed, we set up a “hidden” video camera and then he dressed up like Santa. He delivered all the gifts under the tree and ate the cookies. When my daughter watched the video the next day, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She titled the video “Santa busted!” we got another 2 yrs out of her after that. But sadly this year, she doesn’t believe.
Michelle says:
I love hearing stuff like that. What a sweet Daddy to go to such lengths.
Jen says:
My 10 yr old still believes and I think it is bc she wants to. She has 2 younger brothers (7 and 4). I know when she finds out that he truly isn’t real, it will be blown for the other 2 which makes me sad! I hope the 4 yr old doesn’t listen to his older siblings.
alyssainez says:
When did I stop believing Santa? Well, it may have been when my mom died and Santa started SUCKING at getting the perfect gifts. No, it was when I saw my aunt sneak in my house at 1 am with huge garbage bags. I continued to fake believe in Santa for a year or two though.
DefendUSA says:
My 17 year old still wants to believe. He would never ask Santa for anything and was always overjoyed with his gifts. When they were twelve ( the oldest two) we told them that Santa wasn’t going to leave them mystery presents anymore and we left one present under the tree with no signature in the ‘from’ part of the gift tag. They would find it, smile and move on. We still have two younger kids and we tell them as long as they believe, then that’s all that counts. Christmas Magic!
Margie says:
Kids can suck sometimes. I hate those kids that ruin stuff for you. Thanks, Kid.
Anyhow, I can’t remember when I stopped believing but I do remember hunting down the gifts every year afterwards. Trunk of the car, closet, under the bed and for the ones already under the tree, we were like doctors in surgery, slowly and carefully removing the tape. “Dude, someone’s getting Hungry Hungry Hippos!”
DrLori71 says:
At first glance, I thought your brother was wearing the Target logo in photo #2.
We celebrate Hanukah but when I was a kid we hung stockings for Santa. One year my brother & I thought if we hung tights instead of a stocking we’d get double the presents…we didn’t. I don’t remember how old I was, but at some point I figured out that Santa wasn’t real – my parents just saved a Hanukah present & gave it to me for Christmas instead.
My kids (8 & 4) still believe in Santa. For how much longer…we’ll just have to wait & see.
Laura says:
LOL about the Target shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heather says:
I remember learning the Santa truth. It sucked!
We had a close call this summer when the older son of a friend told little D the truth by accident. She included him in her letter to Santa this year to ask for presents for him so that he’d believe again… looks like we still have a few years left in this ol’ myth.
Marsha says:
There is something about this post that made me wanna bawl! I think it’s when you said that tour mom tears up watching the video of you and your bro. BUT…just as a tear almost fell from theses eyes, you said “nice stache, Santa.” I choked on my coffee a bit.
I believed in Santa until I was reallllly old. Embarassingly old. I had a sister who was nine years older than me so I often think about how rad she was for not spilling the secret.
I sure hope my kids believe for a long time. Def makes Christmas magical…and it’s a great way to scare the crap out of them to behave so they won’t be on the naughty list.;)
Barbi Emel says:
This is our first year of our daughter not believing, she’s 10. She had been asking me and I always said I believe, but this Summer she asked me and told me to look her in the eye and tell her and I just couldn’t lie anymore. Check out Portable North Pole, you can make a free video for Annie. I did it for my girl last night and she was in awe, I think she knew I did it, because you upload your child’s picture, she gave me a big hug then ran off with her friend.
Suzanne says:
I think having kids brings the magic back, at least a little! Except the magic now includes you being exhausted and completely overwhelmed. Ok, so maybe it’s not so magical . .
Have you checked out Portable North Pole (PNP)? It’s a website and also an Itunes AP that generates a personalized video from Santa to your child. It is honestly amazing. “Santa” made videos for each of my kids. My 6 year old son was SO excited, my 2 year old not so much. I think I would have believed a lot longer had this been around back in the day.
I hope the Spohr’s have a wonderful Christmas!!
Kelly says:
When we were kids and we came to our parents with stories of someone telling us that Santa wasn’t real, my mom always told us that Santa was real as long as WE thought he was real, and that as long as we believed in Santa, he would bring us presents, that that was the magic of Santa.
Santa still fills my stocking at my Mom and Dad’s house, and I am 36.
Laura says:
My parents told us the same thing- that Santa was real as long as we kept believing! They still do gifts from Santa, and we are all in our 30’s!!!
Rebecca says:
Just as love is real, so is Santa and he is for all who believe.
CeCe says:
I’m Jewish so never had Santa, but the Tooth Fairy is another story, after dropping my tooth in my green shag carpeting (yay 70’s), and hysterically looking for it for hours, my mother finally had to spill the beans, embarrassingly I think I was almost 9! Have a wonderful christmas!
PS Annie looks a lot like Mike and his sister.
Holly says:
I think so too — especially her aunt!
nancie says:
annie’s got mike’s hair!!!
domestic extraordinaire says:
Love the matching plaid bottoms. Annie could totally rock that skirt.
I believed until I was at my biological dad’s house one year, he snagged his foot on the carpet outside of the room I was sleeping in and cursed loudly (he broke his toe) Presents went flying and he was grumbling about how this is going to be so much easier when the kids didn’t believe in Santa anymore.
Lisa says:
In this day and age, I did think it would be hard to keep my son believing as long as possible.
Believe it or not, I made it all the way to 4th grade. But it wasn’t another kid or something he read on the internet that ruined it for him… it was his 4th grade teacher! One day (at least it was AFTER Christmas) she told the entire class they were all way too old to believe in Sanda and he’s not real. I was stunned when he told me this! Stunned! A teacher??? Just wow!
On the way home he asked me if it was true and I fessed up. He was silent for a while and then he asked “are you the easter bunny too? and the tooth fairy”……
Megan says:
Damn Heather, that is a SHORT dress you are wearing in the second photo! And you look like you’re about a foot taller than your twin brother.
I was really doubting Santa by the time I was about 7, but the moment I could no longer lie to myself came when I got up out of bed on Christmas Eve, walked to the living room, and saw my mom laying the presents that “Santa” brought under the tree. When I recount this story to her, I always say I got up to ask her when Santa was going to come, but that’s not true. I don’t know why I got up, exactly, but I think I knew that something was going on in that living room that I wasn’t going to like but had to know about anyway. I also don’t remember a whole lot of sentiment around losing my belief in Santa. I guess it’s more emotional for the parents.
Alli says:
The one picture my mom has of me visiting Santa is from when I was about Annie’s age and am screaming at the top of my lungs because, well, I wasn’t too into strangers. I need to find it when I’m back at her house this weekend…
My parents actually told me the truth when I was probably 7 or 8…not because they were assholes, but because my friends all knew by then and had hinted to me and it was a preventative measure so I wouldn’t ruin the surprise for my little brothers. I remember being so devastated and crying so hard, but what made it better was getting to be “in on the secret” for my little brothers – being their “special elf” made me feel grown up!
Marianne says:
I remember getting suspicious when I noticed Santa’s handwriting on the gift tags looked a lot like my mom’s handwriting, although I don’t remember how old I was. As an adult, I jokingly brought this up to her, and she insisted that she had always tried to make her handwriting sloppy and unrecognizable, but I let her know I hadn’t been fooled!
Beth says:
It can be done! My sister in law still has her 9 and 10 year old kids believing. Her Christmas’s are magical!
Love the pictures!
JMH says:
My kids are 9 and 6..the 6 yr. old totally believes, but the 9 yr. old isn’t sure. She WANTS to believe, but I can tell she is questioning it. It makes me sad…Santa makes Christmas so magical. And they grow up so fast….We watched the Polar Express and I like how Santa says he is the symbol of Christmas spirit. I plan to use that to answer any questions she has.
Kate says:
I think I was in third or fourth grade when I started to put things together about Santa. It’s funny, too, because my mother accidentally outed herself as the Tooth Fairy when I was about 7 (she forgot to put the money in my tooth pillow and when I was heartbroken that the Tooth Fairy could forget about me, she was force to admit there was no Tooth Fairy; then again, it made the transactions more convenient when I did lose a tooth because in return for letting my siblings keep believing, she would just dig in her purse, hand me the money, and call it a day), but I still held onto Santa for a year or two longer. It was only when I was a bit older than I noticed things like how Santa had the same handwriting as my mom, and that Santa’s wrapping paper perfectly matched the two big rolls that were half-hidden in the crawl space.
Because I had little cousins at the time, my mother put me (and later, as they figured it out, my brother and sister) on Santa Notice, requiring that we keep our mouths shut and not ruin it for the little ones. And even though we don’t have any cousins who know the difference anymore (my youngest cousins are in middle school; my older cousins’ children are too young to know anything about Santa), she still plays the Santa game. She signs all the tags Santa, she hides the Santa presents until Christmas Eve, and she always — even when we find the Santa presents! — comes up with a surprise. Last year, it was a scavenger hunt for our “big” gifts of the year, sending my siblings and I running around the house following obscure clues that said things like “You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish” (and I dug through the case of tuna cans for five minutes before my mom told me maybe I should go look at the piano). Three twenty-somethings bombing around the house following tiny slips of paper? Priceless. It was ridiculously fun.
It’s kinda nice to not be too old for surprises even if I am too old for Santa.
Lisa says:
Oh, I love thinking back on the days when Santa was real. I am amazed by all the things my parents did to make sure we didn’t get smart to the real truth, things like buying special wrapping paper that nothing else under the tree was wrapped in, getting a neighbor down the street to fill out the gift tags and write the “thank you for the cookies” note, stayed up super late to make sure everything would look just perfect Christmas morning. Oh, to be 5 years old again and living the magic of Christmas.
It is fun to get to be on the other end now, trying to make Christmas magically for my own child. Now I just need to try to live up to the example my mom set.
monica says:
Ethan is 6 and is questioning Santa, we don’t want him ruining it for his younger sister. We still tell him he’s real, but I have a feeling it won’t last much longer.
You guys were gorgeous kids! You look beautiful and Mike is adorable!
Andrea says:
My daughter is almot 8 and still believes in Santa! At our house our kids only get one gift from Santa and stocking stuff. This year she said she was asking Santa for an Ipad and we told her that he doesnt make those kinds of things Im also lucky that our Santa at the mall is the same guy every year! Merry Christmas to Yall from Texas!
Adrianne says:
I just had to comment that I never knew your brother had the exact same hair as Maddie when he was a kid!! Or I guess it would be vice versa. But that first picture of the back of his head reminds me of Maddie’s curly, blonde hair! So sweet:)
Jennifer Hayford says:
My son just turned 9 and he whole heartedly believes. It’s been close a few times with kids from school – his response was “ha! how do they think their parents wake up in the middle of the night?” And with his dad (who wraps Santa gifts and then uses HIS handwriting!) My son explained that away with well, Daddy is just trying to ACT like Santa comes to his house, but we know Santa comes on Christmas Eve to OUR house! He still is convinced he saw Santa’s boot a few years ago too. My daughter is 6 and has no doubts … yet!
Janet says:
My little people still believe.. If I can keep the magic alive for my oldest thru this year I’ll be soo happy(he’s 9). The past 2yrs he’s asked me if Santa is real cuz kids at school tell him he’s not. I always say, well I sure do believe and that’s all he needs to hear…
Next year I’m sure I’ll have to take him aside and tell him he’s not real and then threaten death if he tells his little sister and brother(5 and 2.5).. I think it helps that when Santa comes to our house he only gets the kids 1 gift and that 1 gift is not wrapped, all the rest are and they are from us
Tammy says:
I love that you believe in carrying on the “Santa” tradition. There seems to be a trend with parents to not indulge in the Santa story for various reasons. I loved the look of wonder and excitement on my children’s faces (my children are now 18 and 23) and truly missed being able to play Santa.
I can’t remember the exact age my son finally stopped believing, but we actually got a few extra years because we ran into Santa in the summertime in a small gift shop in our hometown. He looked just like you would imagine Santa would look in the summer! He had on a red shirt and shorts and was still sporting his beautifully full white beard. He overheard us say my Son’s name, so he came over to introduce himself as Santa Claus, calling my son by his name. He explained that he was on vacation (hence the attire), but that he was looking in on little boys and girls making sure they were being nice. Then…he handed over a card with his name and address, the North Pole of course. Magical, I tell you.
Anytime my son’s friends or school mates would tell him there was no such thing as Santa, he just couldn’t be swayed because he had met the REAL Santa. If I remember correctly, I think I finally had to break it to him myself.
Aubrey says:
My kids both still believe, they are 10 & 7. I have a feeling Nick(10) knows but doesn’t want to hurt my feelings. Santa still leaves me presents at my moms house too. I think it is the spirit that people need to always believe in.
Love the plaid pants though. You guys rocked them.
Elizabeth says:
Believing in Santa was the best thing ever now I order my own gifts online with my parents credit card….not so fun! I hope Annie believes in Santa for as long as possible because that’s the magic in it all!
BTW those plaid pants are AWESOME! Tell me if you find them
Cristy says:
I don’t totally remember finding out but I was watching Miracle on 34th Street the other day and got to thinking something… I know Santa isn’t real. I get that. but there is something magical about Christmas. it makes most people a little nicer. spending quality time with family becomes a little more important (even if you need a bottle of champagne to make it through a day with the inlaws like I do!). People give in ways they may otherwise not give. so for me, thats where I ask whether Santa is real or not. it’s in the christmas spirit, in his spirit, that I believe. and what I’ll tell my nieces, nephew, and children when they ask if I believe. wow, suddenly I’m feeling extra christmasy today. :o) happy holidays to you and your family Heather!
Laryssa says:
My nephew turns 11yrs old on 12/27 and he still believes in Santa. And no matter how hard the kids at school have tried to convince him otherwise, he refuses to believe them. He insists he “saw” Santa when he was 6 years old so he “knows” Santa is real. I think it’s cute; my sister, not so much. She doesn’t like that Santa still gets the credit for the gifts.
Darcie says:
This is cute! I found out when I was pretty young (maybe 6 or 7) but I was never dumb enough to tell my mom! Why end that gravy train! LOL
Amber says:
My photographer emailed me this website yesterday…I think it is $10 well spent. It photoshops Santa into scenes in your house. SO CUTE!!!
http://www.Icaughtsanta.com
Maile says:
I don’t ever remember believing in Santa… But my mom is also one of the worst secret keepers ever!!! Also, the “Santa” at sports chalet was sooo not convincing and kinda looked like a guido with a fake beard. Throw in my brother and I repeatedly seeing gifts unwrapped before Christmas and my mom never even trying to change her handwriting on gift tags…. No chance for Santa.
My parents also used to speack in Spanish when they were talking about our gifts or anything else they were trying to hide from us… I don’t speak spanish at all(except food) but the word for bicycle is very similar to English…
AngieM. says:
ok..who votes for heather and kyle to recreate the plaid pants shot?? i know i do
anyway, i can’t even remember how old i was when i found out santa wasn’t real. but i do know an older kid ruined it for me..crushed my little dreams
Keary Naughton says:
A quick story to make you laugh. My daughters friend that is a senior in High School went to a catholic school here in denver. When they were in the sixth grade her teacher said something about Santa not being real. We knew many kids in the class and they were the oldest siblings, the looks the teacher got were devastating. So Jackie raised her hand and said “Mr. Ricketts I know Santa has to be real my parents would never get me a hamster!!!” My daughter got her a hamster for her birthday, and named him Mr. Ricketts.
Sarah Q says:
I figured out Santa wasn’t real when I was 8 or 9, and I realized that my mom and santa had the same handwriting. When I was older, I let my mom in on it. When my neice was living with them, she had my father sign all of the presents that were from Santa.
Darcie says:
I love that Kyle has a big grin in both and you are glaring at the photographer suspiciously in both!
Brooke says:
My parents wanted my younger sister to have one last ‘magical’ Christmas where she still believed.
My cousin told her three days before Christmas.
Worst part was that my mom was ready to blame me for it, and it had to be corroborated that it was my cousin, and not me.
Skye says:
You guys were sooo cute!!! You’re right, Christmas was WAY more fun when I believed in Santa. I don’t remember a specific “finding out” moment. I started suspecting and I would get up to “go to the bathroom” on Christmas eve and go peek at the tree to see if Santa’s gifts were there yet (trying to figure out if my parents had put them there). I never outright told my parents I knew… they figured it out eventually but to this day (I’m 24), I still get at least one gift “from Santa” every year!
One thing my mom did to extend my belief was one year telling me that she SWORE she heard reindeer on the roof. She looked totally serious. I was already suspecting, but she seemed so genuine- I thought maybe he was real after all!
Skye says:
Oh and I just want to add that I knew the Santas that I got to go see were not the real one. My boss tells her young son that they are Santa’s helpers… I think that’s a cute explanation!
Charlene says:
My youngest (of three) is 10 and he still believes – I love it! When he has questioned me about it my reply has been “not everyone believes in God either, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.” That seems to satisfy him for now. My older sisters gave me some advice years back: Never let Santa get the credit for the best gift! For my other son, the skeptic, I always tried to get him something that I would not normally buy him. Like when I didn’t allow toy guns in the house, sure enough Santa brought one and that kept him believing for another year. It makes me sad to think that this may be the last year our youngest believes!
leel says:
Great idea! Thinking of those christmases as a kid always helps pull me out of the dumps too. Magical.
My Santa beliefs were shattered the day my very Catholic 2nd grade teacher announced mid-December that Santa was not real, he was our parents and that Jesus was the true reason for the season. I will never forget the feeling, and looks on the faces of my classmates. My mother nearly attacked that teacher when I cried in her lap that afternoon. She reasoned with me, and I half-heartedly went along with it. I love the magic of christmas!
katrina says:
What?!! What do you mean Santa’s not real? LOL
I was 8 years old when I found that out. It was a few days before Christmas, and I was looking under my mom’s bed for the dog (who was hiding because he heard the bathwater running) and I found a box with a picture on it of the doll bunk beds that I had been asking for. “Cool,” I thought, “Mom’s getting me those bunk beds for Christmas!” I didn’t say anything because I wanted my mom to think I was surprised. Then on Christmas morning, I woke up and ran out to the tree. There sat my wooden doll bunk beds, all put together with bedding and everything. I was so excited! And then my mom said, “Wow…look what Santa brought you!” and sure enough, the tag on the bunk beds said, “Love, Santa Claus” I remember I was disappointed for like, one second, and then dove into the rest of my presents. It didn’t bother me too much. From then on out, I did everything I could to keep my younger sister (5 years younger than me) believing in Santa. I even played Santa myself a few years, placing gifts under the tree from him for my mom and my sister. I think I had more fun playing santa than believing in Santa.
But you just can’t beat that “feeling” that you got as a kid when you were trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve. The excitement that you felt way down in your belly…it was an awesome feeling. And then the feeling you got when you woke up the next morning and realized it was Christmas Day. As an adult, the only time I have ever had that kind of excitement was when I had my first baby. After she was born, she was taken to the nursery so that I could rest. I was told they would bring her back to me in 3 hours. It was 10:00pm. I could barely sleep. I was so excited by the thought of being alone in the room for the first time with my baby. I had a hard time falling asleep and kept looking up at the clock. I fell in and out of sleep, always waking with that magical excitement that I had only ever felt before when I was a child waiting for Santa to come. Then, finally at 1:00 sharp, the door to my hospital room opened, and the nurse walked in my room with my daughter. It felt like my Christmas mornings as a child. The same thrill, the same excitement.
michelle in MO says:
Those pictures are pure gold! My mom totally had that same round wire plant stand. And we also had “book case” china cabinets. I had my share of plaid pants, but being born even earlier in the 70’s than you guys, I was also lucky enough to have corduroy pants that had mushrooms on them and another pair with an entire farm scene repeated all over them!
I think in the sleigh photo, I can very much see Maddie in Little Heather. Now Annie, she’s got Little Mike going on to a T!
I believed in Santa until 2nd grade when this beyotch named Jeanne told me the real deal. That was after I shared my slider tin of lip smackers with her, the nerve!
Momma Lioness Michele says:
Great post Heather – but I was totally distracted by the awesomeness of all the plaid pants in these classic photos! I laughed out loud when I saw your note at the end of the post. I hope, despite your understandable sadness, that you and Mike have an amazing 1st Christmas with Annie.
Thinking of the Spohrs from across the country!
Rosa says:
Wait a minute!! …. Santa’s not real?!?!
Tina says:
That dress you had on with ‘satin’ hearts. I had the same dress and LOVED it! Wore it all the time. You have great style!
Merry Christmas!
Brie says:
We have a little tradition here where Santa comes to our house a week early. This weekend my two (and a half) year old son got to open his gifts. When he was done he sat in the midst of all of his gifts, tattered paper, and sop innocently said “Thank you Santa.” My eyes began to well and in that moment, I again believed in Santa. He is no longer a being, but magic that lives in my heart thanks to my child. Annie will help you to believe again (if only just for a moment).
Alyssa says:
I don’t remember exactly how I found out santa wasn’t real, but I’m guessing that I figured out santa’s handwriting looked an awful lot like my mothers. I remember that when I was about 7 or so, I walked into the bathroom where my mother was brushing her hair, sat down on the toilet seat lid and just matter-of-factly told her that I knew santa claus was not real and that she and my dad actually bought all the presents. Why I wasn’t sad to know that then I’ll never know, but sometimes now I wish I still believed.
Robyn says:
I love the magic and wonder of Santa. I hope my daughter (who is almost 2) has many Christmases where she believes. When she does find out it’s parents who leave the presents, I want to tell her the real story of St. Nicholas and how the season is about giving for the pure joy of giving.
I love the quote “Giving in its purest form expects nothing in return”. Although the Santa we get our children to believe in may not be “real”, the wonder and magic of Santa is real in all of those who give selflessly to others. I want my daughter to know the story of the Secret Santas who give their own money to random strangers in need during the holiday season, started by Larry Stewart. If you’re unaware of the Secret Santas try googling it. It’s such a beautiful, selfless thing they do. I want her to know that even if she can’t give money like they do, it’s possible to give to those in need, by just offering smiles, hugs, lending an ear to listen, and offering your time.
ANY small random act of kindness can instill in us the magic of Santa. Merry Christmas Spohr family!
Jen says:
I totally dig the plaid pants! We don’t have Santa in our house (it’s a Jew thing), so I’m sure my kids will be the ones spilling the beans to everyone else. Sorry in advance.
Patty says:
2 weeks ago I got to relive the magic through my 2.5 year old grandson. Our city, snowy Minnesota, every years puts a couple of firetrucks on the road, Santa on top, lights and sirens flashing. We started to hear it several hours before he made his appearance- so the build up was grand. And then our street. From my bedroom, Andy on a step stool- he sees Santa and just goes nuts with happiness. Yelling, “Santa, Santa, it’s me ANDY”- jumping up and down, waving, pure delight on his face, over and over, “Santa, Santa, I am here, ANDY is HERE!” The truck stopped in front of the house, I think he heard Andy, lol- waving at Andy- Andy was in heaven. And I have tears in my eyes as I am watching him, I swear, the purse strings were pulled. LOL Of course after it is all over I am thinking, OMG I DIDN”T DO A VIDEO!! still kicking myself over that….
Helen says:
The purple & white striped dress with the hearts? I totally had that same dress, and wore it for Christmas. And now I am remembering creepy memories of my aunt’s ex dressed up as Santa on Christmas day.
But the dress, its cute and totally 1985 chic.
Amanda M. says:
I remember the jaded little girl who so casually said, one day at recess, “Santa isn’t real, you know.”
I was already suspicious, but to say it out loud! I was appalled. Ha
Alison says:
Christmases believing in Santa were awesome! Like when he brought my sister and I a Barbie Magic Dream Boat. Suhweet! As for the end of the Santa years, I think there were a few Christmases where I half-heartedly believed, and then done. The Santa myth slowly chipped away; no horrible single moment (or person) for me.
I remember being WEIRDED OUT that the whole country collectively lies to kids. Yes, it’s for the magic, I know that now. But little me was SO CONFUSED, like if he doesn’t exist, why does everyone try so hard to make him seem real?! Yeah, I was a strange kid. Despite my disbelief and then my confusion and now acceptance, I still get gifts from “Santa.”
kathleen says:
Santa is really creepy and there are so many great things about christmas, trees, decorations, angels, food, family, why perpetuate a lie, let your kids be the ones to straighten out the rest of the world, cause they will only be bummed when they find out you’ve been lying to them. We never had much money when my girls were small, so I didn’t have enought gifts to give santa credit anyway, I wanted them to know we worked hard to buy them gifts and they were from the people that really loved them, not some random fat guy in a red suit. But I love christmas!
Claudia says:
Heather, I dont think you have to worry My sister is 8 years old and she still believes in santa! it is the cutest thing ever! She has her suspicions but we find ways around them. Just the other day she overheard my mom say that I went shopping for presents with my stepdad…my mom ended up “explaining” that santa actually rode in the truck with us!!
MelissaG says:
Seriously..best outfits ever! And your mom got to dress twins! That is the best. Thinking of you and wishing you all the best during this time of year and beyond.
anita says:
I’m not sure, Heather, if the portable north pole (www.portablenorthpole.tv) was around when i was a kid I’m pretty sure I’d still believe. My 7 year old was floored Santa knew her age – had pics of her – etc….
Pretty cool!
lissa says:
I have a 7 year old and 5 year old. They still believe. We put gifts in the fireplace and when they wake up and come get us to see…The look on their faces are priceless. Yes, Santa drops them off over a few days but we never get tired of seeing their excitement. Yes, all gifts are signed by Santa…Yes, we go out of our way and pocketbooks to get the two or three things they really want. But they have fun and they are good kids, and I want them to be Santa believers as long as possible =] Merry Christmas !
Veronica Turner says:
What?! Santa not real? *wiping a tear*
I have to tell you I still believe, maybe not in this great mythical character but the magic of Christmas. The lights, music, friends, laughter, memories…
Leigh says:
ah! the “dirty news” – so true! I suffered the same fate as Mike….the old kid down the road and I were doing cartwheels in the yard one day and suddenly, she blurts out, “Santa isn’t real you know. Our mom’s and dad’s are “Santa”.” I ran straight home and demanded the truth from my mom, all the while the pieces were suddenly fitting together in my mind, it must be true, how the heck could he really get to all those houses? and his sleigh can only hold about 10 things in it anyway.
Hmmph. I still get pissy about how I “found out”, but am at least glad to have made it to the ripe old age of 9 before finding out.
Jess says:
I’ve been kind of down too. I really miss my grandma this time of year.
My little cousin Sophia is starting to question Santa and his magic. She is 7 and I’m hoping we get this year and maybe next out of her. And dear GOD I hope no one tells her where babies come from because I am not ready for that.
When I was little my uncle, who was 18 years old than me, had one of his friends play Santa for me. Well apparently I had a bad habit of biting my nails so they told Santa who said to me, “Jessica I hear you bite you nails, do you want to tell me why you do that?” And my quick witted 3 year old response was “Well if my mommy would cut them I wouldn’t have to bite them.”
I was sassy back then.
I was about 9 when Santa and his “he’s not real” was told to me and ugh that was devastating to me. So I will tell my cousin Sophia whatever it takes to make it last as long as it can for her. Because magic is important for kids!
Dianna says:
THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE: (1) You believe in Santa Claus; (2) You don’t believe in Santa Claus; (3) You are Santa Claus; and (4) You look like Santa Claus.
Laura says:
What I think is so sad is that there is such a small window of time between when a little one is old enough to “get it” and be excited for Santa- like age 3 or 4? and when they find out the truth- 8 or 9, it seems like, based on the comments here. That is only a few Christmases of the magic of believing! I really wish it was more, because it is so wonderful to be SO excited and so in awe of the great Santa Claus.
Like a lot of people already said, for some kids (myself included), after the disappointment of learning THE TRUTH wore off, it was also pretty special to be “in on” the secret, and to help Mom and Dad be Santa to the younger siblings. I distinctively remember being very upset that an episode of Full House eluded to Santa not being real, because my little sister still believed and I didn’t want it to be ruined for her. I went running off to my mom and dad to tell them that they must do damage control, stat! LOL! As it turns out, our older brother told her the real deal the next year because he said that all her friends would laugh at her if she still believed. She was 8, I think. I was so mad at him for spilling the beans, but I don’t think she cared much. It’s funny how every kid is different~ I was crushed when I learned the truth and the two of them seemed to already have known for a while! I guess I was naive, and I WANTED to believe, so I was sad when it was over. However, I was never resentful at my parents for “lying” to me all those years. I LOVED that they went to such great lengths (different wrapping paper, different handwriting, a boot mark left by the fireplace, eating all the cookies and drinking the milk, etc.) just to make it to special for us. I do remember knowing that the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny were not real, but for some reason, Santa was such a huge shock!!!!
Christmas and Santa are such magical things, and I can’t wait for our little ones to be old enough to get into the spirit of the season!! I know I will LOVE playing Santa, and will probably be so excited for them that I won’t be able to sleep on Christmas Eve, just like when I was little!!!
Merry Christmas, Spohr family!!! Lots of love to all of you!!
LisaJ says:
I remember wanting to hold onto those Santa years so badly…I still do.
By the way, I found this funny video card making website and thought you would like it. I hope you can use it when you are in need of smiles.
http://sendables.jibjab.com
Dee Dee says:
I’m feeling sorry for your brother and Mike cause they had to wear those plaid pants! But still lol over here!
Em says:
I feel terrible, but I definitely told my brother that Santa wasn’t real when I was only 6 (the same year I figured it out…) Jay was only 3! poor kid. I found out when my mom was on the phone telling a friend what she got me for Christmas – NOT SANTA! I wasn’t so devastated, I think because I was creeped out by Santa anyway. My parents still made a huge effort to surprise us every year, and that was always my favorite part. (also, a rule in our house was that jay and I could open our stockings before everyone was up… so jay ALWAYS – to this day- wakes me up at 5 or 6 in the morning to open them…)
jkb says:
I was raised a Jehovah’s witness, so no Santa for me. My sister and I used to secretly wrap toys up in newspaper and put them under our “tree” (usually a coat rack) though. I never once “spilled the beans” for any of my friends, as we were taught that they had a right to believe in whatever they chose to believe in.
I’m no longer religious in any way, but was planning on doing the whole santa thing with my [future] kids as a kind of cultural thing until the little boy I was nannying at the time found out santa was not real. (He was He was devastated that he was lied to. It may have been an unusual reaction, but there were tears, and a great snowball effect of easter bunny, tooth fairy, magical anybodies tumbled down around him. It was really heart breaking.
My daughter is celebrating her second holiday season (we celebrate solstice but Christmas etc. with the extended family that are VERY into Christmas) sans Santa Claus and I don’t think she is any less in awe of the holidays. She will know the Santa Claus myth, and if she decides on her own that she wants to believe a fat man comes down her chimney every December, I won’t stop her, but I won’t be labeling anything SC either.
We march that fine line though, I do NOT want her spoiling it for any kid that DOES believe.
My sister-in-law has already been battling the spoilers for her sons (9 and 6) but the “Santa is real if you believe he is real” line seems to do the trick.
I do not judge anyone who Santa Claus’ it up. Mostly I just know that I couldn’t keep it up anyway (never believing makes it very hard to not slip), I was pretty clueless on the whole Christmas thing when I met my husband. So clueless I had no idea that stockings were filled by santa and I thanked my in-laws…in front of my santa believing in nephew…for something they put in my sock. Whoops!
Also…I too am in love with the plaid pants/skirt combo. I may have to sew some up real quick like.
Pol says:
I don’t remember why I suspected that Father Christmas wasn’t real when I was 8 – but I do remember how I proved it.
Using my developing science brain I carried out an experiment. Go to see Santa in his grotto at the school Christmas Fair. Tell Santa what you want. Then go back to parents and tell them you asked for something different. Then sit back and wait to see what turns up on Chtistmas day – simple!
Erin says:
My 13-year old has known for 4 years now. His younger brother (by 15 months)… still believes! At almost 12, this boy believes! Not really sure how… but hey I’ll take it. Love the magic
Joy says:
Christmas is so fun when you have kids and get to see the joy and amazement in their eyes on Christmas morning when all of those gifts have appeared. My son is 81/2 and still believes he has not even questioned it this year. He has told us some kids in his class don’t believe and we say that is fine they don’t have to believe but when you stop believing Santa stops coming to their house and you know Santa gives the good stuff! We also have an elf that hangs out with us during December and they love to see where Jingles is hanging out each morning.
BTW who puts santa gifts under the tree before Christmas-shame on your mommy:)
Alicia says:
Dude. Those glasses Santa has on in the pic with Mike. ZOMG.
Anna says:
“Yesterday I read something in TV Guide about Santa not being real.” HA! I love it!
I found out really young – like 4 or 5 – because my mom bought a present for my brother when I was out with her that showed up under the tree from Santa on Christmas morning. I guess she thought I wouldn’t notice? She managed to stop me before I blurted it out and ruined it for him, though.
Rachel says:
I’m 22 and still get presents from Santa!
Then again, somewhere deep inside me, I feel certain that I will get an acceptance letter to Hogwarts one day.
Veronica Turner says:
@Rachel, I actually went to Hogwarts, that’s where I met my husband (we’re 35). At least that’s what we told our kids
Becky says:
You and your husband are now my heroes! Do you tell them which Houses you guys were in?
Laurie Allen says:
I’m feeling sorry for your brother and Mike cause they had to wear those plaid pants! But still lol over here!