Signs, signs, and more signs

My parents, as I've mentioned before, have become very politically-active in recent years. With the general election less than a month away, my father has been very busy putting out signs in support of all his Republican buddies. Almost every house on our street has a sign in the yard for a Senator, Mayor, or someone else running who Daddy's supporting. You can see him walking up and down the street with signs tucked under his arm and a hammer in his hand. We've seen him and so, I'm sure, has everyone else.

On Monday, Daelyn and I were stopped at a stoplight about 2 miles from our house (at least a dozen blocks away). Daelyn was sitting quietly in his booster seat, a rarity, to be sure. Then he said, "Mama, Grandpa put those signs up."

I turned to see where he was pointing, then turned around and looked. The corner was full of signs for different candidates. However, obviously, my father had not put those signs up. In the first place, it was entirely too far from our house - neighborhood is one thing, the entire city is something else. In the second place, they were on gas station property and Daddy only puts them in the yards of people he knows. Thirdly, they were for Democrats and candidates that my father is not supporting.

"No, son," I explained, "Grandpa didn't put up those signs."

"Yes, huh!" Daelyn responded. (Where does he get this "Huh" business. I'm an English major. I SURE didn't teach him.)

"No, Daelyn, he really didn't." In an effort to convince without confusing, I chose the first reason on my list and explained, "This is too far from our house. Grandpa wouldn't put signs all the way out here, hon."

Daelyn seemed only slightly convinced, but he snorted and closed the subject.

The next day, we were returning from running some errands. My parents had planned on attending a funeral of a mutual friend and then spending time with my sister who lives near the cemetery. They weren't expected home until late afternoon.

About two blocks from that gas station corner, I noticed an attractive, older man, very well-dressed, walking down a sidewalk with signs under his arm. It took only seconds for me to realize it was Daddy, on his way back from the funeral. I saw my mother in the car parked just a little further down the street.

"There's Grandpa!" I yelled. The kids clamored to the windows to see him.

"What's he doing, Mama," Deanna asked.

"Putting up campaign signs, it looks like," I answered.

"I KNEW IT!" Daelyn yelled, triumphantly. If Grandpa could be THAT far away from home, he certainly could have put up the signs just two blocks away.

There's absolutely NO convincing him now. As far as he's concerned, Grandpa has put up every campaign sign in the city. All he needed was proof, and he got it.

I've decided to give up the fight.