"Mama.  I traded three silly bandz on the bus today!"

"What did you get, handsome?"

"A rare one."

My son slipped off the plastic bracelets from his wrist to show me.  Just like the plastic charms I collected in grade school - the newest craze for children are bracelets shaped in animals, dragons, dinosaurs, princesses, etc. that are often traded.  Extremely difficult to find I thank Michelle for locating them. He laid down the newest addition to his collection on the kitchen table, to admire.

"Nice!"  I acknowledged.  "Who did you trade with?"

"Mr. Smiley."

"Mr. Who?"

"Mr. Smiley!"

"Does Mr. Smiley ride your bus?" I was both shocked and curious. It's nearly the end of the school year and this was the first I've heard of Mr. Smiley who rides the school bus.  Was this a bus driver aide - was there even such a thing?

"Everyday."

"Does the bus drop Mr. Smiley off somewhere or does he stay on?"

"He gets off at the hotel.  Down by the river."

"There are no hotels in our town."  I was about to call the school's transportation department to inquire about Mr. Smiley-who-gets-dropped-off-at-the-hotel-down-by-the-river and trades silly bandz with young boys on the school bus.  But before I connected with my inner bitch to confront the school district,  I had to think like a first grader from Cleveland's remote countryside.  "Do you mean the apartment building on the river?"

"Yeah, whatever.  It looks like a hotel."

"How tall is Mr. Smiley?"

"About this tall."  He extended his hand a mere six inches above his head.

I finally exhaled.  "So, you mean, he's a student that goes to your school?"

"Duh, Mama.  Why else would he be on a school bus?"

"Why do you call him Mr. Smiley?"

"Because he smiles all the time and is nice to everyone.  That's what everybody on the bus calls him."  He looked me in the eyes sensing my confusion.  "It's funny, Mom."

And that is how I cracked the case of Mr. Smiley-who-gets-dropped-off-at-the-hotel-down-by-the-river and trades silly bandz with boys on the school bus in the remote countryside of Cleveland.