You have to know who you are dealing with....

What kind of deception is a 10 year old boy capable of? Just about every kind. They get caught too. Which surprises them every time. There really is nothing new under the sun, but they think so.

The phone call from the school nurse goes something like:
NURSE: "Your son is falling asleep in my office."
ME: "OK."
NURSE: "He says he took too much medicine this morning. Now he cannot stay awake in class. He is falling out of his chair in my office."
ME: "OK. Well, he did not have too much medicine this morning. It has to be something else." {here I wrack my brain to think of what it could be....nothing comes to mind} "I can't think of what though. He had a good weekend, the medicine did change, but he hasn't had any problems with it though."
NURSE: "Well, I'm going to let him lay down. He'll be here when you pick him up."
ME: "OK." {Damn it. Why can't he just take a nap and stay at school? He is up to something, but what? I cannot afford to take a day off from work either. Damn it!}

So, I get to the school and pick the boy up. I take him home, let him sleep. I check in about 11am, still sleeping. However, I see something under the bed and instantly I know what happened. He turned the sound off on his gameboy and played it all night last night, at least until the batteries died. Now, I want to wake him up and really let him have it! But, I wait. He gets up on his own a little while later. I ask him for the gameboy. He gives it to me. He is about to say that is not why he is tired, but my look stops him in his tracks. He does admit that he did play it the previous night.

I just let it go and do not say anything else.

After a little while he comes in and asks what he is supposed to do. I tell him the leaves in the back yard need to be raked. Thus begins the four hour dance of every five minutes having him walk in, asking if he is done, me telling him no, him pouting, going back out, occasionally slamming the door, raking, and includes one and a half major temper tantrums. The half being the steam build up for the full one. After what seems to me to be a veritable eternity, he finally almost has done a good enough job. He was attacked by ants. Brown recluse spiders and Black Widows loomed menacingly, but never seen. Poisonous snakes were slithering all about, but he couldn't quite see them. (actually, I was hoping to find a couple but none were out there). A broken bird egg was a sure sign of trouble. In the end of an adventure that would rival Indiana Jones, and certainly four hours equals two movies worth, it was finished. Leaves raked, patios swept, and we were still able to make it out to kids night at the Silver Diner so I could talk with some adults, eat a great salad, and he could play with some other children. {SIGH} Anyone want this job?

~Mike