Deception

Every time I see that last post title it reminds me that my hair is in a terrible state. It will be getting cut tomorrow (first time since October, since I somehow skipped my usual Christmas appointment), but that will do nothing for the shocking appearance of my roots, which I only ever notice when wearing contact lenses and looking in a mirror in decent light, and you can guess how often that happens. (Hint: Our bathroom is in the middle of the apartment. It does not have a skylight.)

Never mind. Onward.

I did a bad thing the other day. I deceived my son, with full and malicious intent. At least, I'm sure he thinks it was malicious. He, lacking a nap of course, ran away from me outside Target. He was on the footpath, not in the car park, but he went way too far ahead and I didn't know when he was planning on stopping. I had a sleeping baby on my back and a trolley of shopping in front of me, so I couldn't exactly leg it after him. I yelled. I trotted. When he was close enough, I dug deep in my mental bag of enticements/threats and came up with: "I have a lollipop!"

He turned to me with a beam on his face and ran straight over.
"You have a lollipop? For me?"
"No. There is no lollipop. I just said that to make you come." And I manhandled him into the trolley, trying to avoid the bread.

As we headed for the car he was confused. "Why did you say you had a lollipop?" he kept repeating, though I kept telling him exactly why. I've never done that to him before, and obviously I can't do it (too often) again or he'll get wise to me. But also, I did feel a little dirty. I try really hard never to lie to him (okay, there's that Santa thing, but I mostly glossed over things rather than lying outright), and I want him to know he can always trust me not to mess with him.

So I suppose I just have to stop going to Target when he's missed a nap. It's going to be a long rest of his life.