Partial Snow Day Fake-Out

My cousin, Rachel, who has three kids, once gave me some very wise advice: when you have multiple kids, especially close in age and/or sex, make everything you get for them the same. Don't buy new toothbrushes where one has Diego and the other has Mickey. Buy two Diegos. Don't buy the 'variety pack' snacks. Buy all goldfish. Don't buy one black snow boot and one blue one. Buy two black ones. You get the picture. If not, each child will covet the different object of the other child and think that their own is chopped liver. And man, will you hear about it. And don't think that simply switching the object is going to fix it. Grass is always greener, remember?

So you can imagine the quandary I was in this morning when they announced that Ian's school would still be closed for another snow day and Julian's would be open. Two different, not the same, and who wants to go to his school when his brother is at home? I had to put on some theatre.

"Mom, are we going to school today?" Julian asked first thing. This is now starting to be the question he asks every morning, even on Saturday and Sunday.

"Yes, we're all going to school," I lie, in this case well, because I am hurriedly looking through Ian's drawers for school clothes to help support my fake-out that Ian is going to school. Even Ian doesn't know. I tried to let Ian in on a fake-out once and it bombed.

"Ian, I'm going to take you to Johnny Rockets today when Julian is taking a nap because you're doing so good at not hitting your friends, but don't tell Julian."

Ian's immediate next move was to run into the living room and announce to his brother that he was going to Johnny Rockets, nah nah nah. I know. I don't think I've ever felt like more of a total idiot.

So this time, Ian was on a 'need to know' basis, which meant he did not need to know.

To tell you the truth, it went great. Even Ian complained about not wanting to go to school and I kept up the ruse.

"Sorry, Ian, we all have to go to school," I said, smiling apologetically.

Once we dropped Julian at his daycare, I walked back to the car with Ian, who thought he was headed to his own school and I said to him: Ian, guess what? You're staying home with Mom today! To which Ian replied, with a fist pump: "ALLLLRIIIIGHT!"

Now, what am I teaching my kid by pulling the wool over on his little brother? Probably nothing good. But if you've ever heard them fight over a Mickey and Diego toothbrush, then you would have some sympathy for me. Really you would. At least I hope you would.