Lying to Your Kids. Your Kids Lying to You.

Last night, Cameron asked me what cannons were for. "Killing lots of people at once" has the benefit of being an honest answer, but would have raised questions I really didn't want to answer. I went with "They are for shooting cannonballs. The army used to use them, but they really don't any more." Then he asked his follow-up question, "So what are tanks for?" I went back to the euphemism drawer and pulled out another one - "The army uses them to help protect our country." (Cameron knows that the army protects our country from an earlier Q and A session.)

I felt very disingenuous giving these half-truths and circular-logic answers to sticky questions, but I suppose it comes with the territory.

Typing that up reminded me of a recent time that both Claire and Cameron lied through their teeth. Through their teeth, I say!

Katy bought herself a bracelet and some earrings last month and told me that the kids could give them to her for Christmas. I had already purchased some perfume for them to give her, so I wrapped up two packages, marking one from Claire and one from Cameron. Christmas morning I had them deliver them to their mommy.

It's important to point out here that neither child had seen the contents of their gift to Katy.

After being thanked for their gift, both of them said something to the effect of "I picked it out special for you because I knew you would like it." They were most sincere. Katy and I stifled laughs and nodded gravely. Liar, liar, pants afire!