Hypothetical Question....

What if you were randomly just doing your normal bedtime routine with your kids....brushing teeth, saying prayers, reading stories, etc. when randomly one of your kids starts peppering you with a nonstop barrage of questions like:

How can a  reindeer possibly fly?  Birds and bugs fly, but there's no way a reindeer could fly.   And without even pausing for an answer, continuing with wondering how in the world Santa could carry a big enough bag to put all the presents for all the children in the whole world?  It would be too heavy and too big for Santa to fit in his sleigh.   And how could Santa possibly keep track of all the children's behavior in the whole world?   It would be too hard to keep track of that many people.   And then if he did have all those presents how would he be able to know what each child wanted and which stocking to put them in?  etc., etc. 
Then what if after the five minute hypothetical monologue, they conclude with the statement that it was their belief that Santa Claus was a fictional character and that it was really mom and dad who brought all their presents. 

All this hypothetically speaking, in front of two open-mouthed  siblings who had been, until that moment, content and happy believers.  

And in a twist of irony, what if the questioner wasn't the older sibling ruining it for the younger ones where a little bit of tactfulness may have been expected, but instead it was the not-quite-six-year-old spoiling it in very eloquent fashion for the older two? 

Of course none of this really happened and we all know that Santa is very real, but I'm just curious as to what you would have done?  Spin an elaborate yarn of magical tales?  Or just listen quietly and hope they'll forget about it by December? Listen empathetically and try to divert the conversation?  Or just agree with her disbelief and figure it's about that time anyway?  Advice welcome.    




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