Where did the time go?

While my last post warned that I might be in exile, unfortunately I never made it out. And here I am facing the yearly conundrum that working mothers everywhere loathe:   summer vacation. Oh, a lot has happened since we last chatted. Kids changed schools, kid got kicked out of school, extended family vacation – you name it, with the exception of a limb detachment (phew, phew, throw salt, etc) we’ve had quite the year.

It was this time last year when I left The Shlenker School after 13 years. Wow! I had “grownup” as an adult there. I started with a 12 month old and left with 13, 9, and 4 year olds.  I lost my brother and watched as my mother fight breast cancer and beat it, but watched my husband’s aunt lose the fight to ovarian cancer. I turned 40! There were good times and bad times but at the end of the day, I needed to move on in the world.

So I landed at Neuhaus Education Center. Another, wow! It was a crazy transformation. It’s funny; there is never a universal definition of normal. However, I totally love where I am and am so thankful the muses that helped me find my way.

On another note, does anyone here know how to clean up an Exxon-Valdez-sized spill of liquid laundry detergent on Saltillo tile? While I was out of detergent, darling hubby purchased a brand-new, full-sized bottle that he placed on top of the washer instead of the drawer underneath. While we were without offsprings for a few minutes, we ran to Lowe’s for some fencing materials. Upon returning home, I found that the spin-cycle had nudged the bottle and it was thrown to the hard floor below. The more water I added, the more bubbly and slippery it became. If I tried a dry towel, the towel stuck to the floor. Of course, my darling spouse was trying to capture the BPesque clean up on his phone’s camera.  Any suggestions would be worthy of sainthood at this time. Okay, so I’m not Catholic but I have some pretty influential friends!

Anyway, a lot have things have changed since we last talked. Much to all our surprises the kiddos have gotten older and bigger – I clearly don’t remember that in the contract. Flash back mumble-something years ago (a few times), “Here is your baby, he’s a boy!” Great! That’s amazing! Not one flippin’ person on the planet informed us that they would grow up.

Alex is obsessed with recording videos. Who knew? Such a narcissistic child. Check out his latest YouTube ready video (for the record, he will NOT be uploading anything)! While a number of you think I am a bad parent (sometimes, myself included), he is only FIVE! No way would I let that happen. But I will share it with you.

Simon is obsessed with video games. I know, I know, it’s such a bad thing. But at this point in my life, I’m just too tired to argue. I will, however, claim victory for a small moment. For some reason unknown to my technologically-inhibited brain, the Playstation 3 locked up for good. Dead as a doornail. It has been several months and you would have thought they were either locked in Gitmo or sitting Shiva. The cries, the moans, the wailing, jeez, shut up, already! I’m surprised they haven’t covered the mirrors and wrent their clothing. Anyway, the patient shall prevail. Simon convinced his dad to move the Playstation 2 from Christopher’s room into the living room and, voila, he has become a skater extraordinaire with the Tony Hawk game. When I suggested he actually went outside and try those moves with the ridiculous amount of ramps and table tops we own, he looked at me like I had lost my mind. Oh, wait, forgot – I’m over thirty…

And finally, Christopher. Well, let’s just say he’s a very different kid. Two weeks ago, we put him on an airplane, alone, to Florida to attend two weeks of recruit training for the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. He’s been a part of this organization for almost a year now and LOVES it. Just think of it as the Navy Reserves for the under 18 set. Trains one weekend a month and two weeks a year. The only difference is he can’t get paid and he can’t get deployed. While I’m really thrilled about that last part, uhm, not so much on the first. Can I tell you how much I’ve spent in gas alone hauling him out to Ellington each month?

Anyway, I went to pick him up last weekend and we had some time to kill before our return flight. We decided to go to the National Navy SEAL Museum. Since it was about an hour away, I asked for my phone so I could check in with the warden and his two little charges. CJ politely told me no. Come again? Apparently, they had a safety course and I was informed that talking while driving was dangerous. I could pull over or he would call for me. This is seriously where that whole “do as I say not as I do” thing wanted to kick in and pop him in the back of the head. But since he will driving in the next few years, I behaved and modeled the behavior I wanted him to exhibit. Fine, but he crossed the line on the next one.

Now mind you, I got up at 2:45 a.m. to make a 5:00 a.m. flight on Friday. Had his graduation at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Flight bound for Atlanta at 6:35 p.m. Saturday evening, a two hour layover with a group of 30 teenagers in the gate area (thank G-d they didn’t get on our flight), and a 10:25 p.m. two hour flight to Houston. Well, I got on the plane, ordered an adult beverage – I deserved it – and settled in with my book. We land, spend 30-40 trying to get his sea bag, can’t find the car, and are finally loading our bags in the back of the Durango and I get this:  “Oh, and I’m not happy with you.” Really? I spent a small fortune on this little adventure and am worn out and HE is not happy with ME? When I inquire as to the reason of his unhappiness, I am told that I should not have had a drink since I knew I was going to be driving home. I was also told I needed to remember there are others in the car. Okay. Has anyone else ever wanted to slap the crap out of someone because they were right? Oxymoron, I know. Again, I modeled the behavior I wanted him to exhibit. Thanks goodness for those years spent in a classroom of two year olds. The restraint certain came in useful.

On Sunday, my in-laws and a couple of CJ's friends came over to bar-b-que and welcome him home. Right before dinner, he asked if he and his friends could walk to one of the other guy's house. I said it was his decision. Dinner was in 30 minutes and reminded him that his grandparents had come to see him. After a while, I walked into the other room and he was sitting there talking to his grandparents. The other two had apparently decided to go on. So dinner starts and Christopher noticed that one of the guys was outside to pickup his skateboard and out he went. He came back in and I asked him if they were going to be joining us for dinner to which he responded no because he didn't want them in his house anymore if that was the kind of friends that bail on him at his own celebration. And since one of his friends who doesn’t have his license stole his mom’s car to bring the other one back, he certainly wanted NO part of anything like that. I couldn’t tell if I was more proud of him or sad for him!

Okay, so he’s right. And they are all alright. What more can a parent want? Well, let me retract that last question. But things could be worse. I just can’t believe where the time has gone. It’s not like they were gone for years at a time but under my nose this whole time! My worst fears are coming true – in the very near future, they may not need me anymore. But my proudest moments are also coming true – in the very near future, they will be responsible, kind, intelligent, independent members of society. And THAT is what I signed up for.