Magical Beings

When Sam was 3 we were discussing Santa one time and he told me it didn't make any sense that a person could actually slide down a chimney with a bunch of wrapped presents. When we discussed the magic involved, he told me there wasn't any magic involved.
A few days ago he reminded me that two years before last, Morgan and I didn't get them any gifts for christmas and that santa was the one who brought them gifts that year.
Thank god for Santa.
One time the tooth fairy forgot to come. Actually, twice she forgot to come. The first time she forgot to come two nights in a row! The second time she forgot, she miraculously came the next morning during breakfast.

Now a note accompanies each tooth that is lost. A note asking a question like, how does she get from one house to the next so fast and why don't bigger teeth bring in more cash. Each note requires a signature and an answer from the tooth fairy.
This year, they each have to spend their own money on a gift for each other. Neither of them has bought anything yet. There's still lots of thinking going on. Spending their own money, of course, involves more thought.
Yesterday after school we donated some of their money to an organization for alternative energy. We had a long discussion about wind, air and electricity and how we were giving a gift to their future.
The struggle lately, is the balance. Trying to teach them that christmas isn't about receiving things, but about helping others and hanging out with friends and family and being thankful for everything we have and going for a bike ride on christmas morning, when there aren't any cars on the roads.
But of course this santa person gets in the way and he sure makes it all so damn expensive.