You apparently don't really know me then.....

Tonight before bed Theo said, "I am sooooo excited for tomorrow." I asked what was going on tomorrow. He looked at me with a hint of frustration. "Really," I asked again, "what's going on tomorrow?" I was quickly scanning my brain to see what I had forgotten about Thursday... He gave me a look tinged with sorrow and said, "Well, apparently you don't really know me then." And then a pout. Man, talk about heartbreak. He knows how to do it. Desperately I took a stab in the dark, "Recess?" I saw genuine relief cross his face, his mom maybe did know him after all, maybe just a little. But then he threw down the guantlet: "Yes. But which one? First or second recess??" You do have to love a teacher who gives second graders two recesses, by the way. These teachers dedicated to recess are few and far between in this age of test early, test often. But because of his teacher's liberal recess policies I was stuck here without an answer with my reputation as a caring, understanding mother hanging in the balance. Confidently I answered, "Second," although I had no idea why one recess would be better than the other. The frown returned. Second was clearly the wrong answer and he was back to thinking that after all these years, all this time, he was living with a stranger who did not understand him at all. "Wait, first! First recess!" "No Mom. Both recesses." And then the cheshire grin. He had been fooling all along, trying to trap me. Playing with my heart. Dangerous game, little man, dangerous game.