The last couple weeks have been full of new beginnings. Some have been bittersweet, while others have just been plain sweet. And some moments, well, they’ve pretty much been the exact opposite of sweet. (You know, like the ones that led me to write Lesson #10.)
Lesson #1: It’s a bit unsettling to hear your kids yelling “Rats!” from the other room. It’s a relief to discover they were simply referring to the game they made up. That is until you realize their game requires them to bury deep under the covers of your freshly washed and made bed.
Lesson #2: While leaving an open bottle of red wine on the kitchen counter is a great way to catch fruit flies, it’s also a great way to almost drink them.
Lesson #3: Everything’s more fun in tap shoes. And soccer cleats. (And the best part? Even tap and soccer are fun in them. Phew!)
Lesson #4: It’s pretty amazing when your kid comes home the first week of third grade and tells you he wrote his entire back-to-school “about me” piece in cursive. That is until you begin to ask questions and realize that he means he typed it on the computer using a cursive font.
Lesson #5: For some reason Little’s kindergarten teacher and Pink’s preschool teacher don’t find it strange at all that it’s my kids who tend to cry at school. (Darn you back-to-school-night video and preschool meet-and-greet for bringing me to my knees—and tears—again.)
Lesson #6: My favorite part of college football season? Reading Big’s predictions that he likes to type up each game day. Lenny’s favorite part of college football season? The hot-headed, under-educated commentary Big and I like to shout out throughout the games. (Hint: Only one of these is true.)
Lesson #7: You can’t help but think you missed out on the right beach hike when your kids come home declaring the trip a huge success. Why? Because they were just, “One skull short of a crab skeleton!”
Lesson #8: The fundamental difference between our boys is perfectly illustrated when you ask them what they like most about school. Big answered, “The way my teacher teaches us a lot of math. And writing. And I get to read! All. The. Time!” Little? “Watching videos…my teacher has a huge TV!”
Lesson #9: The boys have officially deemed our front porch a bug lavatory (you know, a bug lab). I’m pretty sure I’ll be going in and out of the house through the garage for awhile.
Lesson #10: There comes a day in the life of a girl when Punky Brewster’s mom actually becomes a sympathetic character. Today was that day for me.
Get ready to take on the week! May you make some noise, score big, and be surrounded by all of the things you love most. (Even if they have more legs than I care to count.)
As to #10, I remember the day when the kids were teenagers that I understood the concept of boarding school.