Our Apologies, Mrs. Olson

The first thing I noticed when Griffin got in the car on the warm spring day was the sweat beads across his freckled nose.  The second was his impish smile.  "Hi, buddy!  How was your day?"

His smiled dimmed a bit.  "Not good."

As this is his go-to response, I chided him, "What?!  What do you mean you didn't have a good day?"

"I got a yellow card," he admitted while clearly trying to hide the trace of a grin.

"No you didn't!" I cried, sure he was joking.  His current favorite activity is pulling my leg any chance he gets.

"I did!" he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Nu-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Are you kidding me?"  I was truly becoming confused.

"No," he laughed.

"You better not have gotten a yellow card," I was now officially nervous.

"I did.  Look," he said opening his backpack.

I glanced at his teacher's note, which said:  "Yellow Card: hit poked Mrs. Olson's bottom."

"What?!  You poked your teacher's aide's bottom?!"

"No!  I didn't poke it!  I just touched it--like this!" he said, his pointer finger outstretched.

"Griffin!"  Now it was my chance to stifle a grin.  I do not approve of bum-touching, but this boy is always a surprise.

"I know.  Are you mad?

"Well, son, I'm not mad.  I'm just disappointed.  I've taught you better than that."

"You never taught me that!" he argued.

"Griffin."  I had my mommy voice on now for sure.  "Is a bottom a private part of someone's body?"

"Yes."

"And do we ever touch any private parts of anybody's body?"

"No..."

"Okay, then.  I have taught you that, and you knew it was wrong even when you were doing it!"  I really should have been a lawyer.

"I know."

"Then what were you thinking, son?"

"Well...it was right there--" he held his hand in front of his face, "--and Jade told me that she would invite me to her party if I touched it."

...Mmm hmm.  That had better be some party.