my son is a genius...

"Mom, i have a sliver."
"Um, ok, find me a needle & i'll get it out for you."
My hands are covered with soap suds. i'm finishing cleaning the kitchen after supper & i'm a little distracted by the post supper mess & noise as my son shoves his meaty, dirty hands in my face.
"i don't know where a needle is."
"Yeah, well, you're just gonna have to look."
i can tell he doesn't want to look - but i just don't have it in me to drop what i'm doing at the moment.
He wanders off & in moments, he returns holding a dirty screw, "Will this work, mom?" he asks benignly.
Sloanie & Cairo burst out laughing, "bahahahahaaaaaa, he wants mom to take out the sliver with a screw!!"
With a naive look on his face, he helplessly holds up a ball point pen, "What about this mom? Will this work?"
Sloanie & Cairo proceed to mock him mercilessly.
"Charter! Of course a pen won't work! i bet i could find a needle in 10 seconds!"
"Really? Wow..." he says slowly.
He's a genius... i mutter to myself... as i sweep the floor...
"Yeah! 10 seconds. Time me!"
"One, two, three..." he starts counting.
The big girls fling open drawers & before the 10 seconds have been counted, have triumphantly unearthed a needle from the office desk.
"HA!"
"Thanks girls..." he says as he takes the needle & slips it into my waiting hands...
& i'm sure...
i saw just the faintest glimmer of a victorious smile on his sweet little face...