I’ve been wondering how exactly to start the magic Santa lie with Joe, like do you just start…casually weaving Santa into conversation? Is it a sit down serious talk? Is there an online workshop I can take, is there a training method? So the other day he was admiring a Santa ornament on the tree, and I just sort of shouted, with little plan, SANTA IS GOING TO BRING YOU PRESENTS THIS CHRISTMAS. HE’S GOING TO COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY. He stood there for a few moments, with a look like the world was ending but also he was trying to remember all of the numbers of Pi, while also smelling fresh baked bread. At a certain point, in his brain, he made peace with it all, and had only one follow-up question / comment: I WANT TO GO DOWN THE CHIMNEY, TOO! The magic Santa lie isn’t the actual problem. The more pressing issue, beyond how to instill ethics and a sense of wonder in the kid, is HOW TO KEEP HIM ALIVE, so that he can have either.