I am at the elementary school.
I have just finished my Friday morning voluteering in my son's classroom - stuffing the Friday folders.
I see my son and call him over to say good-bye. He is wearing a black cowboy hat, jeans and a pink cowboy shirt - as it is Western Day at school - he looks A-dorable.
I hug him and he lets me.
I leave and as I am walking down the hallway and about six classrooms away from my son's classroom, I hear footsteps running up behind me and my son saying, "Mom, Mom ..."
I turn in his direction.
He is a bit out of breath and he says, "Can I ... (*fake panting*) Can I ... have someone spend the night ....... (*pant, pant*) next .... weekend?"
I put my hands on my hips and looking into the eyes of the cowboy in front of me, I say, in a loud whishper "I know you didn't just come running out here from your class .... to ask me if you can have someone spend the night ---- NEXT WEEKEND!"
"I asked my teacher if I could come tell you something - she said it was okay," he's shuffling in his cowboy boots and fidgeting.
"Yes, but she didn't know you were going to ask me this. You have a camping trip this weekend - next weekend is 7 days away - we'll talk about it later. Now ... get back to class," I push him along and turn to go on my way.
Before I turn the corner, I hear, "Mom, Mom ..." in a loud whisper, and I look back.
He is standing in the middle of the hallway, turning on his cowboy boot heels and he says, "Thank- ya Ma'am," in a thick Texas drawl and then he reaches up to the front of his hat, grabs the brim between his fingers and tips it at me - like he's John Wayne talking to Miss Daisy in front of the Wild Rose Saloon.
A teacher, walking up behind my theatrical son, sees this Gun Smoke reinactment and she laughs.
I laugh.
The small cowboy bows his head, moves out of the way of the two ladies, turns and shuffles across the dusty road (*hallway*) back into the saloon (*his classroom*).
On the upside ... So, if all goes according to the cowboy's plan -- there will be a showdown (*sleep-over*) the following weekend. That is ... if he can convince Miss Daisy to prepare a room for one of his buddies. Miss Daisy never could resist the small cowboy - he most likely ... will have his way (*cue sun to set dramatically in the Western sky*).