OUCH! My heart! (Warning: Christmas Spoiler Alert)

Somehow I knew exactly what was coming tonight at dinner when Anya hesitantly told us there was something she might need to tell us after Christmas ... or maybe never.  Something told me immediately that a bit of the magic had died.  I knew this day was inevitable, but when she later came up to me as I was cleaning the kitchen and confessed in a round about way (and realized I knew exactly what she was talking about), I had to struggle to fight back a bit of my mommy tears.  After all, her biggest hesitation in telling us was that we'd feel bad, so I couldn't let her see that her growing up DOES make me a little sad.  I asked her if she was ok about it and she admitted she was a little bit sad but that "there are just some things you grow out of, Mom."  Apparently her best friend had accidentally discovered the stash at his house and they had worked it all out.  "I mean, we were just thinking...you know, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, it just kind of didn't make sense.  And then I was thinking about last year how the S on the present tags looked like Dad's writing.  And you guys just bought me the Rudolph bell..."  Guess Rudolph's horseshoe, still in the closet, came a year too late.  Who knew growing pains were for parents, too...