There's one in every family....right?

Just another family outing. Just another evening swim planned. Just another car ride of poking, pushing, nagging, and threats. We did not expect anything more. Just the usual. We do it once or twice every week. We have gotten quite good at the usual antics.

But this time was to be different.

As we (the parents) walked briskly and the kids not being carried ran ahead to escape the frigid near zero temperatures, I was not all that startled to hear a loud crying coming from in front of me. As is part of the usual routine, I assumed that either Nicholas had beaten Olivia in the 'race' they were having to the doors, thus sending her into loud complaints, or Nicholas had stuck out his foot as Olivia ran by, thus sending her to the ground and into hysterics, or Olivia had cheated and Nic was now wailing loudly of her injustice. Something quite usual...I was certain.

But I was wrong.

Instead, I looked up to see Nicholas running, with what appeared to be genuine tears of pain towards his dad. "What's going on?", I asked, as I was still many feet away. No reply as Chad looked closely at the hysterical Nicholas' face. "What happened?", I ask again..."Did he fall?"

Chad was still very unresponsive, but he looked over his shoulder with what did not appear a genuine look of concern or sympathy. He pointed instead to the flag pole.

Oh no he didn't. Our son, the future president of the United States, did not just stick his tongue on the flag pole. He didn't, really Chad, say he did not.

But the hidden smirk on Chad's face said it all. He did. He really did.

And boy did it stick. Obviously Nicholas was able to rip it off of the pole, but not without leaving many layers and skin cells behind. His tongue and lip were bleeding and he was frantic.

After many attempts at calming him and many trips to the water fountain, and after many questions like, "Will I bleed to death, mom?", I was able to ask him what on earth he was thinking. His response, "I juss wanthed to sthee if it wasth tru. If thyou stickth your tongue twoth a flag pole, would ith stickth...and ith does."