sol17-8 Did you just play me?

I am participating in the
Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC).
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day of March 2017. 

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

Another hectic preschool lunch. Caroline is in tears because Eileen said something mean (and then raced away to the bathroom without her). Mark spills his milk on the floor. Michael won't stay in his seat and eat. Bryce doesn't like look of the food and is refusing to eat. Juan has lost the top to his very full water bottle. This last issue gets my focused attention - we are already dealing with Mark's spill (Mark is collecting paper towels and is going to try to sop up the milk himself); I am not about to let Juan's water bottle get knocked over and add to the lunch excitement. So, I console Caroline, keep an eye out for Eileen so that I may speak to her quietly, give a stink eye to Michael to get back to his seat, use my hands to give a encouraging motion for Bryce to eat, and I am crouching on the floor, looking under the table for Juan's water bottle cap. 

"Juan, are you sure it is not in your lunch box?" I stand up and ask. English is a second language for Juan and I am not always sure he understands. "Let me see your lunchbox - is the cap in there?" 

"No, Ms. Ingram!" He answers emphatically and shows me his open lunchbox, no cap in sight. 

"I just don't get it..." I mutter, running out of ideas for where this cap can be. "It's not in the trash is it?" I ask...thinking this is unlikely.  

"No, Ms. Ingram!" He again answers.

I bend over again, searching the ground. Caroline is with me, too, crawling on the floor, searching (no longer in tears! There's an adventure underway!).

Juan sidles over to me.
I say, "Buddy, I just don't know...." and
he says, "do, do - do, do - do, do, do!" 

What?! This is the Jeopardy tune!! This is what I sing when I want the children to figure something out without me telling them. It's MY playful ritual with them. What?! I look up at Juan. He is smiling broadly - and repeats, "do, do - do, do - do, do, do!" " There is a twinkle in his eye. 

"Juan, do you know where the bottle cap is?" I ask, incredulous.

"Yes! It's right here!" and he pulls it out of his pocket, where he has hidden it. "Ha! I trick you, Ms. Ingram!" And he gives a boisterous, full-belly laugh.

I guess I don't have to worry anymore about his English comprehension. He is absolutely delighted with himself. 

I have to admit, it was pretty funny.

"You silly boy, you!" I laugh and give him a big hug.