The wonder of Christmas

So we started the Christmas season with Jackson saying:
"Santa is just a pretend guy."
Tate and I were so shocked we could not believe it. We don't have the influence of older children around us so we don't know where that idea got in his little head. We, of course, explained to him that is not the case.
We also do Elf on a Shelf and our elf Ernie heads to the North Pole each night to report to Santa and returns in a new location each morning. One morning after the boys found him in a coffee mug in the kitchen Jackson says:
"Daddy puts him there."
Again - complete shock. Again, I explained the situation to him. I'm not sure he bought it. But he has been the one that has been telling Ernie to tell Santa he wants a train.

The boys enjoying watching the Santa train at Grandma & Grandad's



That is, until about a week ago.
I was preparing the boys for their upcoming visit with Santa and reminded them they had to tell Santa what they wanted. Jackson said: "Not a train, Christmas music" and then said "I'm just teasing - a train."
Then I asked Peyton what he was going to ask for. Until this point he never said anything. But this night he said: "A coo coo clock."
What?
I sort of laughed and said: "A coo coo clock?" and all the boys thought that was just hysterical and were all laughing and saying coo coo clock and giggling.
For the rest of the week if you asked any of them what they wanted from Santa - you guessed it - a coo coo clock.
So this past weekend we visited Santa and the boys all did great!

When Tate told them to tell Santa what they wanted Jackson and Peyton both said coo coo clock.
Santa, clearly a pro, looked at me and Tate and we both shrugged.
Santa diplomatically said "I'll have to look around my workshop and see if I have one."
So that afternoon I called a gift shop I remembered had such clocks many months ago and YES, they still carried them. So Tate rushed over and picked one up.
While he was out in the hustle and bustle on the Saturday before Christmas I was back home with the boys.
When Jackson woke from his nap he said: "we had to put away our Nativity." I asked why and he said, kind of sad, "because Christmas is over."
I was confused and asked what he meant. He said Santa came so, Christmas is over.
I said "did you think today was Christmas at the Santa party?" Jackson and Peyton both said "yes" and then Peyton said:
"I didn't get a coo coo clock, I got a firetruck. Oh well." And they went off and started playing with the little toy they had gotten at the party.
And there I was both surprised by their misunderstanding, thinking about the fact that I just sent Tate on a wild coo coo clock chase and in the end my 2 1/2 year olds are just as happy with whatever Santa has to give.
So I wonder, who is teaching who?