ESP verified

Max is a little annoyed with kindergarten because the teacher has declared that he cannot make, bring or use weapons in class.  This is not a totally unreasonable request, but I've had some difficulty convincing Max of its wisdom.  Of course, they have no weapons at school, Max has none at home either, but he makes them our of lego and tinker toys.  Now that he is not allowed to even make weapons at school, Max has decided kindergarten is not worth attending and complains at length when we get ready in the morning.

While I completely understand the teacher's sentiment, I also understand Max's.  It is hard not to have the freedom to explore what you really care about.  For Max, that is weapons.  This morning Max was explaining to me again why he didn't want to go to school.

Max: I was building a tower out of blocks, mom...and I wanted to have a gun on the top of the tower.  But the teacher said I couldn't build a gun on the top and that made me mad.

Now I've seen the guns Max builds and I know that they only very loosely resemble guns, so I'm sure the only way the teacher could know what he was building is if he gives it away by using it as a weapon.  I wasn't sure divulging this to Max was a great idea, but I wanted to revitalize his enthusiasm for school.

Me: Well you know Max, the teacher can't actually tell if you are building a weapon unless you use it as a weapon.

Max: She can't?

Me: No.  She can't read your mind.  She doesn't know what you are building, she just sees a tower of blocks.  But if you start using it as a weapon then she will be able to tell what it is.  You need to be an agent in disguise.

Max's eyes lit up at this last though, but quickly clouded over with suspicion.

Max: Are you sure she can't read my mind.

Me: I'm positive.  Nobody can read your mind.

Max:  But Joanne can read my mind!

Me:  She can?

Max: Yes.  The other day she saw a pee spot on my pants and I told her it was water, but she still knew it was pee!

We definitely should have held on to Joanne longer.  ESP is hard to come by in hired help. Hopefully Max's teacher is not similarly endowed or my plan is shot.