November 20, 2006 - Monday
Harry had a half day of school today. It's parent-teacher conferences this week and ours is tomorrow. Today, however, Harry came home for lunch and, after an hour or so of idle play, I took him to a men's and boy's store to buy his cub scout shirt and patches. The place I'd been told had that stuff happened to be near the train station and parking lot where mommy parks here car every day and since we would go right by her car we thought it might be fun to play some kind of trick. I brought the extra car key and we talked a little about moving the car. However, we decided that probably wouldn't work very well, unless there happened to be a spot very close to the one she was already and that wasn't very likely in a crowded lot. Instead, we thought maybe was should just put a flower in her car, a red rose, but not leave any note. Mommy would have to wonder who put it there. Of course, she'd think it was us, but she wouldn't know.

But, here's the thing for today. The entire way home (actually, on the way to pick up Jeremy at Mary's house) I was talking to Harry about trying not to tell mommy right away that we had put the flower there. It would be a secret. Harry, by know, has come to understand that he's not very good at keeping secrets and said as much himself. This, I said, was a little different because we'd be playing a trick. Mommy would ask us about it and we'd have to try and pretend we didn't do it. It would be a game to see how long we could last without letting her know it was us. At first Harry claimed it would be very easy, that he could just say "no, we didn't do it." So I told him to pretend I was mommy and I asked if he put the rose there. It didn't take more than a few seconds of role playing for Harry to realize just how hard it would be to try and keep a straight face and not let on that it was us. We actually went back and forth like that several times, he asking me if I did it and I asking him whether he'd put the rose there and both of us trying to keep as straight a face as possible, but both of us laughing within very short periods of time. It was lot's of fun for father and son, of course. In the midst of it all it occurred to me that here I was literally teaching my son what it takes to be a good liar. Well, that's true, but I rationalized that I was also teaching him that there's more to communication than just words. And besides, it was a lot of fun.


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