I can already tell that one of the best things about sending a kid off to school is going to be the chance to catch up on some new playground slang. While I'm working on a bigger, weightier post about superhero schools, and another one meditating on a weekend in the wilderness with the kids, I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce "throwing witches" into your vocabulary. Essentially it's the evolution of the Evil Eye, with a playground-flirty twist. Here's a snippet of context, from our drive home from school on Friday:

Me: So, what did you do at school today?

Kindergarten Casanova: I ran away from girls at recess.

Me: Why did you run away from girls?

Kindergarten Casanova: Because, they were throwing witches.

Me (barely able to contain my laughter, which he hates when he's trying to tell a story): Throwing witches? What does that mean?

Kindergarten Casanova: You know, throwing witches.

Me: I have no idea.

Kindergarten Casanova: It's when girls who are really nice and really like you pretend they are mean and hate you. They chase you, and if they catch you they look at you really mean and cast a spell on you. That's throwing witches.

Me: Did any of them catch you?

Kindergarten Casanova: Dad. Nobody can catch me. But I let one girl catch me.

(Let the record show that I almost drove off the road at this point, trying not to laugh out loud and thus inhibit him from telling such tales in the future).

– Colin Bane