Is the Easter bunny real???

"Mrs. Amberly is the Easter bunny real or is it just your parents?"  This is the question that one of my 1st grade friends asked me this week - in front of 25 other curious friends -.  I hesitated and asked what he thought?  Then I reminded him that if he didn't believe in all those things they wouldn't come and visit.  (Basically I panicked and didn't want to dash the hopes and dreams of an entire class of 1st graders with my answer).

This lead to my thinking....should I or shouldn't I do "Easter bunny" with my own kids?  For me I do remember believing in Santa though it wasn't ever something that was "devastating" when I realized who Santa really was.  My mom may disagree but I don't remember ever really believing in the Easter bunny.  As far back as I can remember I thought my mom and dad made me a special basket of treats that we got on Easter morning.  Matt on the other hand - hard core believed in everything...Santa, Eater Bunny, and tooth fairy.

I am not so die hard that I think that my children believing in Santa scars them for life and completely takes away the entire meaning of Christmas being Christ focused.  I think it can be a fun holiday where we focus on Jesus and also anxiously wait for Santa.  We don't make a giant deal out of Santa and I'll never lie to them if they ask me about it.

However....the Easter Bunny is a completely different story.  The Easter Bunny just doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me.  Sarah Kate randomly mentions seeing him at the mall etc. but we've never acted like he sneaks into our house at night for good little boys and girls and leaves them a basket.  So the question is...how should I handle it?

For Matt and I we've said that we're not going to just talk it up saying "that's not real Skater" but we aren't going to tell her he comes to our house.  She can recognize him as a figure that we say hello to and take a picture sometimes with but when Easter baskets come out on Sunday morning we are going to just not really address it and not tell her it's the Easter bunny.  If she asks - Mommy and Daddy got everyone a basket of treats and we're going to church.  I do appreciate our Christian preschool in this matter as well.  They've had an Easter egg hunt and fun activities but SK came home this week and exclaimed "Jesus is ALIVE."