Can you keep a secret?

So I found out last Thursday that John Michael can keep a secret, especially when it is in his best interest. 

It was almost noon and time to make our second trip up to the school, to drop Clara off for kindergarten.  JM really didn't want to go (I can't blame him, we spend lots of time in the car going back and forth to school!), so I told him I had a secret to tell him but that he couldn't tell Clara.  I told him the secret and he was ready to run to the car and get Clara to school.

We got Clara to school, walked her in, took a quick peek at the giant paper maiche cornucopia that the kindergarten class had made for the food from the canned food drive, and then headed back to the car.  As soon as I had loaded JM in his car seat, he was done keeping that secret...


"We go Mimi-Pap's!!!!"

And yes, I didn't tell my oldest two, but John Michael and I snuck away to Dallas to visit with my parents for the afternoon and evening.  I heard from Mike that those girls were mad when they found out where I had gone and that their little brother had gotten to go without them!! It's not fair, they said. 

Thursday is the day that the girls go to the afterschool program, so Mike always picks them up on his way home.  So that left JM & me free to go to Dallas for a reasonably long visit.  I didn't feel too guilty about not taking the girls because they always tell me that Thursday is their favorite school day because they love going to afterschool.  They have a Craft club and a Sports club on Thursday that the kids participate in and Clara's done both, but Gracie is sticking with (and loving) Craft Club. 

But back to our Dallas visit, John Michael really was happy about going and eager (apparently) to do anything I told him.  Once we were on our way and on the highway, I told him he should shut his eyes and try to take a nap so he would have more energy to play with Mimi .... so he did!! As soon as I asked him.  Amazing.

And yes, he had lots of energy to play with his beloved Mimi:


Pap wasn't feeling the best when we were there, but JM did get to play with him later in the visit.  We visited Pap in the bedroom, so JM tried out the bed for jumping, explored the bathroom (he liked the biiiig sink (=jacuzzi tub)), and played with the end table drawers and the little extensions that slide out to put drinks on (J, S and C, you will know what I mean!!).  He and Pap had a bit of a tickling match and then it was time for dinner.

The afternoon/evening seemed to fly by, and it was soon time for Mimi & Pap to head out for Pap's choir rehearsal.  But I got in a last picture.  JM doesn't look too happy, but he knew his fun time was about to end!



And don't tell his sisters, but JM & Mimi invented a fun new game.  Here they are in action, I think on round four or five: