In which Max plans a fantasy trip

"Max says he is going away with Dad for 6 days, but I don't know where—he is trying to spell something that starts with an 'f,'" read yesterday's email from Max's teacher. He wrote "frey." She had no idea what he meant.

I started laughing uncontrollably. The word Max was trying to spell was "ferry." The thing was, there's no trip planned—Max has dreamed the whole thing up.

Back in June, our family took the Cape May Ferry in New Jersey to Lewes, Delaware; we were going to Ocean City, Maryland for a few days. A few weeks later, Max started talking about going on the ferry, just with Dave. Then he was talking about going on the ferry and staying at a hotel overnight. Then it was for six nights. Oh, and they were also going to visit some firehouses. And eat a lot of sushi.

I love traveling, and it's been fun hearing about Max planning a trip. (Also: To hear stuff coming out of his mouth that doesn't only have to do with firefighters and fire trucks.) But things are getting a little out of control. Last Sunday, Max announced that he and Dave would be leaving on Monday for their trip. Our sitter is on vacation this week, and I think Max convinced himself that he, too, would have vacation, even though he's in school.

"No, Max, you can't go away tomorrow—you have school," I said, and Max burst into tears. I eventually calmed him down by saying that, yes, he and Dave will go on a ferry ride, but didn't promise when. Then we went off to pack some clothes in his Cars 2 suitcase for the trip. (I fully realize I have enabler issues.)

This is typical of how Max operates; he gets fixated on something, and can think and speak of nothing else. What's unusual is that he currently has two obsessions going at once, although he has nicely integrated them with a ferry-ride jaunt that involves firehouse visits.

I'm not particularly concerned that he told the teacher he's going on a trip. Making up stories for teachers isn't uncommon, as I discovered when I got into a discussion at the office about what Max had done. One coworker told me that when her daughter was in preschool, she informed the teacher that her mother was having a baby sister. My friend found out when the teacher congratulated her on her non-existent pregnancy. Another woman mentioned that as a kid, she'd tell her teacher that her brother could never leave the house or go out in sunlight (not true). 

For now, I'm choosing to be amused...until Max tells his teacher that he's quitting school to travel the world. 

Photo: Flickr/Lil' El