Fair Day

Memphis City School kids are out on the town today while the teachers have an in-service day. I've heard so many people say, "A day off? Already?" like this is the craziest thing ever. But we've always had a Friday off in September, for as long as I can remember as a parent, teacher, and student. Only back when I was a student, it wasn't called "In-Service Day." It was called "Fair Day," remember? It was marketed like some benevolent holiday that allowed us to experience the Mid-South Fair, instead of a time for teachers to actually get work done without having to stop and yell at us to STFU every ten minutes.

I went to the fair here and there, but I don't remember ever begging my parents to let me go. Part of that is because I had plenty of opportunity to experience that kind of stuff at Libertyland and Camden Park (the amusement park in Huntington, WV, where my people are) so the fair wasn't all that novel. We even made trips to Opryland and Kings Island when I was a kid. Amuesment parks were just a thing we did, so I have ridden rides (and accepted the fact that I just don't love them) my whole life. This is not the case for my children.

A few years ago, Connor went to the fair for a friend's birthday. I think it was when he was five, and he swears he doesn't remember it. (This doesn't surprise me, as he probably doesn't remember what he had for breakfast this morning either.) We've never taken the kids before, because the Delta Fair is around Labor Day and they seem to usually be in Nashville for Labor Day. But now we're at the point where their peers are bragging about the rides and the food and the games and they want to go to the fair already, Mom, why won't you take us?!?!?!?

So we did. And I swear, I'm not exaggerating when I tell you it cost a million dollars (plus $5 for parking). I was prepared for that reality, but I was sort of caught off guard by how the kids approached the fair. I've just always been so used to riding rides that I forgot they had no context for it at all. They couldn't figure out what they should or shouldn't ride, because they had no idea what would be fun or what would be scary. We started them off slowly by riding the smaller of the two Ferris Wheels with them. But they still spent a lot of time running around looking at people riding rides before they were ready to commit to something.

Connor got over it quicker than Chloe. Early on, he rode some swing things that were new to him but fairly tame- not the baby swing ride but not the super-high one, either. But Chloe wanted no part of it, so we just watched Connor. Then, two hours later, she rode the super-high swing ride like it was no big thing. And that made sense- she had literally never ridden a ride in her life. She had to ease into it. So it was fun to watch them progress through the fair and see what they said yes and no to. Almost worth wiping out Chip's retirement fund so we could afford a turkey leg before we left. Don't worry- I've already started saving for next year. Now that they've had a taste of it, there's no turning back.

A Memphis Day

Saturday was gorgeous, so we spent it outside. First we went to Rock for Love 6 in Overton Square, to get some lunch and see what was happening. Then we ran over to Rhodes for an hour or so to check out the new football field, before heading back to RFL6 to see the Rock n Romp activities that were set to begin later in the day. It was a fun, busy day.

The kids were especially excited about the Huey's Experience, where you could blow toothpicks through straws to your heart's content, write on the walls, and have your face painted. (Although I don't remember ever having my face painted at Huey's, I have done the other things before!) Chloe was disappointed there were no burgers, as her appetitie for red meat is never sated. But she ended up with some cotton candy, so she was willing to overlook this flaw in the experience.

We saw almost everyone we know at RFL6. It was hard to tear ourselves away to check out the game, but Connor really wanted to see some football in person and we all wanted to check out the new field. We had fun at Rhodes, but couldn't wait to get back to the scene at Overton Square. It was such a great Memphis day- so many friends, great music, a Grizzlies-themed bounce house, the amazing work of the Church Health Center- plus the gorgeous weather. Just wonderful.

Then this happened, and my kids died and begged for their own drum kit and took videos to show Grammy because they could not believe this awesomeness.

The day was so perfect that it almost made me forget that I'm mad it's September and summer is almost over! Memphis does a great job of filling September Saturdays with fun things to do. I look forward to enjoying the rest of them with you!

That's Entertainment

Friday night was movie (and hot fudge sundae) night for Team Chockleyblog. OF COURSE, Connor and Chloe stood at the Redbox for several hours arguing over what to rent. (This is why we got the movie before heading into Kroger for our treats- that ice cream would have been soup by the time this ordeal had finished.) Connor was pushing for The Three Stooges or Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Chloe wanted We Bought a Zoo. I was super-excited that both The Rock and Matt Damon were in play here, so I upped our rental from one movie or two. Then Connor stood there trying to argue that our two movies should be the two he wanted to see. Seriously? The ego on that kid! When pressed to pick ONE, he picked the damn Three Stooges movie. SMH!

If you know anything about We Bought a Zoo, then you aren't suprised to hear that I cried for the entire two hours. ENTIRE. TWO. HOURS. I occasionally had to leave the room to gather my composure and not scare the kids. I was definitely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The only glaring problem was that 40-something widower Matt Damon, who has two kids, is going to have his rebound relationship with 20-something ScarJo. Who happens to be the head zookeeper. When they break up, things are going to be AWKWARD. I mean, she obviously will have to get a new job, and she's been working there since she was a teenager! She can probably sue him, though, once they get to that point. Probably.

And then, movie #2. I can't rationally discuss the cinematic shit stain that is The Three Stooges. Here are the bits and pieces that my therapist and I have recovered through hypnosis, as I try to salvage parts of my life that were lost that night:
There are nuns in this movie, and they are played by Jane Lynch, Jennifer Hudson, Kate Upton, and Larry David.
Any movie with Sofia Vergara should be rated at least PG-13, just based on her body looking like that.
The entire cast of Jersey Shore is prominently featured in this movie, giving it the timeless quality you would expect from a Three Stooges vehicle.
When Sofia Vergara came on screen, Chloe said, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF THE MEATBALLS! and that was the funniest thing that happened the whole movie.
The DVD was damaged, obviously from someone who extracted revenge on the disc after being subjected to the horrors contained within, and it caused the movie to skip ahead at one point, giving me at least ten minutes of my life back. It's the little things that make family movie night special. From now on, I will include the person who scratched that DVD in my nightly prayers.

Next week? Journey 2: The Mysterious Island! But will I be able to follow the plot if I haven't seen Journey 1?

Weekend

The kids went to Nashville this weekend to hang out with their grandparents. Chip and I were home alone! What does one do when there are no kids to take care of? Good question! Let me answer it for you.

Saturday morning Chip drove the kids to Exit 101, halfway to Nashville. I went to Jazzercise instead of accompanying him. As it is, the kids hug and kiss me before each Jazzercise class as if I'm going to be away from them for several days, rather than just an hour, so I figured we could just kill two birds with one stone this time.

After my class, I called Chip to see if he was home yet. Not quite. "Do you need me for any reason?" the mom in me asked. "Nope," he replied. OMG. No one needs me? I went to the Farmer's Market, and then to my mom's house. I got home when I felt like it. No one complained. This is crazy.

When I got home, I fixed lunch for only myself. Then I read a book while Chip processed pictures from a wedding he shot recently. Music played in the background. No one talked. Blissful.

Next, we went to a 901 Day concert at Shangri-La and heard Caleb Sweazy, Jeff Hulet, and Chad Nixon play some songs. Then we went to see The Dark Knight Rises. That movie is not even animated! After the movie, the skies were dark and scary. We went to Sharky's and rode out the storm watching college football in their bar while eating sushi and other seafood-y things. Another meal I did not fix.

The most amazing thing that happened Saturday was that we were flipping channels that night and came across a Sammy Hagar concert. This led us to look him up on the internet (because who is that badass chick playing bass for him?), at which time I learned that Sammy is going to be 65 next month. Sixty-five. As in, YEARS OLD. He was born one year after my mom. How is that possible? My mind is blown.

On Sunday, we slept in. Not even the cat attempted to wake us up early. Have I ever been this lucky? Perhaps sometime around the year 2000, when I didn't have kids or pets. I barely remember that time. Then we both walked the dog, together. Isn't that a weird thing to be excited about? No one had to stay home with the kids, and no whining kids were dragged along on the walk despite their most urgent wishes to be lazy and immobile. Next, we went to brunch with Tiffany and Mark at South of Beale. Then I got to see Chip's new office and we walked around the music festival before heading home. Then we did quiet, solitary things like read, shop, process pictures, etc. There might have been napping. It probably would have been a good time to clean or pay bills, but that just seemed silly.

Sunday night we cooked a good dinner and watched The Hunger Games. Then we went to bed at a decent hour and slept in the next day. Sleep! SO MUCH SLEEP! It was glorious. Then we went and picked up the kids, and not a minute too soon, because I missed them like crazy.

Tacky Day!

In an awesome break from the monotony of school uniforms, today at school was Tacky Day!

Yes, yes they are the same height now.

All the Things She Said

"I've never had Taco Bell, but it looks DELICIOUS!"
-while watching a Taco Bell commercial

"Is somebody winning?"
-while watching a basketball game

"I've always wanted to ride in a submarine!"
-apropos of nothing

"Uh, yeah girl!"
-when told by her mother that this pizza has both chicken and bacon

"Not women TOO!?!?"
-when discovering that women only recently were granted civil rights

"Mommy, I will eat this Nutella like it's my JOB!"
-upon tasting Nutella for the first time

"Will you wax my ears?"
-when feeling some sinus pressure in her ears

"Merida, I had no idea your story would be so sad!"
-speaking to the Merida doll she brought with us when we saw Brave

"It's everything I've ever wanted!"
-while holding me by my shoulders and looking deep into my eyes, after describing the Baconator commercial in detail

"You just got SERVED! By the Serve Master!"
-after winning a game of Skip-Bo

"I don't really like British teeth."
"This guy is no Pitbull."
"Are there not any black people in England?"
"Is their queen not allowed to smile?"
"That guy is too old to be a prince!"
-while watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics

Oops! Week Two

Did I let the whole week slip by without saying hi? That's because this is the week when it all caught up with us. I am dragging! I've let two weeks of getting up early go by without really putting myself to bed any earlier. The kids haven't had any meltdowns yet, but Chip and I have maybe not been our best selves every morning. I promise I'll make those lunches ahead of time next week! Either that or just buy ten Lunchables this weekend and call it a day. The siren song of processed, packaged food is calling me, and maybe global warming isn't so bad, right? (Kidding! Jeez, don't call child services or Al Gore or anything. I'll be strong.)

Connor has a lot of homework. A lot more than he's used to, anyway. And the problem is, he is just so slow! He'll do anything to avoid actually putting pencil to paper and answering the questions. So I think he's making it worse than it has to be. Luckily, he's not putting up any resistance yet- that will come later, I'm sure.

Chloe's teacher had strep throat to start the week, then today is out to take her kid back to college. I know those things can't be avoided, but two subs in the second week of school? Let it be noted for the record that I don't like that.

I love worrying about these minor elementary school problems, though, and look forward to many more years of it. Yesterday, the first-year students moved into the dorms at Rhodes, and today their parents will drive off, leaving their babies behind. It's too much to think about. Last night, both of my kids ended up in bed with me during the storm. I lay there while they sweated and squirmed all over me and thought about the kids spending their first night in the dorms. Did the storm scare them? Did they feel empowered, weathering it on their own? I can't even imagine what they're thinking, because I'm too far on the other side now. I could only imagine their parents, listening to that storm from their hotel rooms, patting the empty spot beside them on the mattress where their babies used to run for comfort. Did the parents feel scared? Did they feel empowered? I'm sure that when the time comes, we'll all be ready. But last night I smothered them with kisses and held on as tightly as I could. And they welcomed it.

Week One

Connor has been happy with his class, despite the lack of BFFs. (Also, he didn't have any night terrors associated with the start of school this year, last week or this week. It's been crazy!) He hasn't had much to say about his schedule or what they're doing in class yet. Maybe I'll get him talking by Labor Day. The only thing I've really heard is that the fan on their AC is bent, so it makes really loud noises all day. That's good information, son. Keep up the good work.

He does seem to love his teacher, although he (obviously) hasn't given me any specific reason why. My guess? It's because she's a thirty-something white lady. My boy loves a substitute Mom! He had one in Kindergarten and then again last year in Third Grade. At least this year he changes classes, and his other teacher is not just another "Mom." In fact, he informed me that she was "older," but then a few days later told me that meant 42. Seriously, I'll cut him if he ever again refers to that as "older."

Chloe has had a great week, of course. I would love to be Chloe for a day- to be tall, smart, funny, and generally unburdened by negative thoughts must be the greatest life ever. Her reports from school are things like, "On Friday we get ice cream with sprinkles!" and "I forgot to tell you- a girl swallowed a penny yesterday!" Plus, she loves her new after school classroom at Idlewild- downstairs with Miss Lauren and Miss Emerald! She's waited so long to be with them! When I picked her up yesterday she grabbed my hand to show me the cool stuff in the science center. Then she skipped off, singing to herself. I picture rainbows and unicorns surrounding her at all times. Surely they're there in her mind, right?

(That last sentence would have been awesome if had been talking about both kids and said "Surely they're there in their minds, right?" Because I'm a nerd. But I digress.)

I did get one shocking report from Chloe Wednesday night- she didn't really play with anyone on the playground that day! I was all, Oh no! but she kind of shrugged it off. Apparently there are some established friend pairings that she's not jumping in on. I encouraged her to reach out anyway. Thursday I followed up- how did it go? She said she was still playing mostly alone. (And she was still not nearly as worried about it as I was.) I mentioned some specific girls who had been in her kindergarten class- what's the deal with them? Who do they play with? "Oh Mom," she replied, "They play Twilight! That's why I don't play with them!" So now I will remove my nose from her beeswax because clearly she has a handle on recess and doesn't need my advice. Also? I've totally raised her right.

Preview of weeks 2-36: I buy books every time they send home a Scholastic order form; homework volume picks up; homework meltdowns happen with increasing frequency; I quit ironing clothes and making lunches ahead of time; we start arriving at school late. Sound familiar? I know- I can hardly wait either. Happy new school year, folks!

Play Ball!

This year, Connor played baseball for GSL. The folks at Idlewild mean well, but they just don't have enough volunteers to run a great program. And I'm not willing to volunteer, so I'm not judging. I just decided to find a place with other parents who are way more awesome than I am. I got Max and Ayden on board, and our city school kids infiltrated the fancy team.

We reached the age where the kids do their own pitching. Oh dear lord it was brutal. But worst of all? Connor wanted to give it a shot. The inning he pitched was the longest of my life! I think I am going to ban pitching/goalie/quarterback from the list of positions Connor is allowed to play. I can't stand the pressure!

He was actually surprisingly confident, which made it harder when he sucked. Although to be fair, almost all of them suck at pitching at this age. And many of them suck in the field, too- Connor threw a double play ball that was fielded into three runs scored. Of course, when you're nine, a hit is a hit- he wasn't interested in my talk of "E-6." Now he doesn't want to pitch anymore, although by next year, when he's on the older side of this age group, he might be better. But if he wants to go ahead and retire as a pitcher, I'm not going to complain!

In any case, it was a fun season. I feel like he learned more about baseball in two months than he did in the three previous seasons combined. They won some and lost some, and really enjoyed the experience. I'm so glad that GSL let us crash their party! Here's hoping we can sneak onto a basketball team, too!

First Day

Chloe marched into first grade like she owns the place this morning. Little girls rushed up to hug her as soon as she walked in, and she didn't look back. For a minute I was concerned because most of her friends are in a different class, but I soon realized that most of MY friends are in that other class. Chloe knew everyone in her class and wasn't worried at all. I guess it's time for ME to start making some new friends, not her!

She got the teacher I had hoped she'd get. Mrs. Holloway is rumored to be very musical and use lots of songs and things in her teaching. That's got Chloe written all over it. A lot of other parents recommended her, and Mrs. Berry (our perfect kindergarten teacher who has set the bar unreasonably high) said she felt Chloe and Mrs. Holloway would be a good match. I believe anything Mrs. Berry has to say, so there you go.

Connor started fourth grade, and I have to say- I didn't know anything about fourth grade before today. I didn't know the teachers, I didn't know how the whole multiple teacher thing would work, nothing. I just knew where fourth grade was- the same place where I did my student teaching and where I had my very first class as a brand new teacher in January 2000. And guess what? My classroom is Connor's classroom! Crazy.

(Photo by Chip on the SECOND day of school, since he totally forgot to take a picture on the first day!)

He has Mrs. Thompson for homeroom, social studies and language arts. At some point during the day, his class switches over to Mrs. Bailey for math and science. He seems pretty excited about the multiple teacher aspect of things. I can't imagine he can keep up with books/papers/assignments from one class to the next, since he can't always make it from my car to his classroom with his lunchbox. It will be good practice for him as he starts transitioning toward middle school. OMG, let's not talk about it.

Opposite of Chloe, I saw plenty of names I recognized on Connor's class list, but all he could see were the omissions. His three best buddies- A, H and W- are all in a different class. Together. How will he ever live!?!? I pointed out that he might actually be able to focus on learning if he's not goofing off all the time. He wasn't amused. But I do feel bad for him- if we lived in the neighborhood he could just bike over to these guys' houses and play whenever he wanted. But because we're out here, it's harder for him to stay in the loop when he's not in the same class. It makes me feel guilty that we're stuck in this house and I've done it all wrong. But I'll just be sure and have more sleepovers and be more aggressive in planning playdates. And maybe- just maybe- that boy will branch out and make new friends. It could happen, I swear! I'll show him by making new first grade parent friends. We can do it together, Connor!

One day down, 179 to go! Woohoo!

P.S. Happy birthday, Mom!

In LONDON, Angland

We're watching the Olympics. They are in London, England. Chip and I are unable to stop ourselves from doing the following:

When someone on TV says "England," one of us says, "Angland?" and the other says, "Japan's sending Playstations!" or something else from the following sketch. Warning: language!

When someone on TV says, "In London. . ." one of us shouts, "IN LONDON?!?!?"

And then we laugh, EVERY TIME, because we're total dorks. And then the kids say, "What's so funny?" and we tell them they wouldn't think it's funny, and they pout because we're having fun and they aren't in on it. Just so you have the full picture there.

USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!

Chloe Lou Retton

A while back, Chloe took gymnastics for a couple of months. She was. . . not exactly a natural, and it was kind of expensive, so we dropped it.

Last fall, she convinced us she was ready to start back. Wings Gymnastics has classes twice a week at Idlewild, and the price seemed more reasonable now that we aren't in daycare, so we signed her up. She has loved it.

I was surprised by how much she enjoyed it, considering she couldn't even really do a cartwheel. She didn't care- she practiced her afflicted-looking cartwheels all the time, and looked forward to each class. Her teacher, Miss Mary Hannah, is really patient with all ages and skill levels. Chloe talked for months about the recital her class would have in May, and couldn't wait to show us what she'd been doing. And we were all surprised to see that she actually held her own out there.

One of the instructors, who isn't her normal teacher, spotted her the first time she went on the beam at the recital. She didn't touch Chloe at all, and Chloe did great. Only later did I realize that her everyday teacher almost never takes her hands off of Chloe on the beam! Yet at this recital, in front of everyone, Chloe just sucked it up and did it with no fear and no complaints. I realized this weeks later, and I just want to hug Chloe for hours whenever I think of how she handled herself at the recital.

About a month after the recital, Chloe was doing her usual nightime routine of practicing cartwheels and handstands in front of the TV while the rest of us tried to watch basketball. And suddenly she just did a cartwheel! All that practice finally paid off, when something clicked inside her and the cartwheel happened like it was supposed to. It has really been fun to watch her growth in gymnastics- especially since some of our kids (hint: not Chloe) tend to give up right away if they aren't perfect at something on the first try.

Chloe is just basically a ball of self-confidence, and it amazes me. She is my idol.

National Anthem

The Olympics have started, and my kids are totally invested for the first time. I think this is awesome. We watched the opening ceremonies from our condo on the beach, and I fondly remembered watching a lot of the 1984 Summer Olympics from a condo at the beach, down the road in Destin. (Perhaps I need to start branching out, vacation-wise?) Of course Connor was going to love every event, from skeet shooting to basketball, because he's my son and if our team is playing, we're all in. But even Chloe can lower herself to watch sports when two of her favorite activities, swimming and gymnastics, come on.

You aren't surprised to know that I wander around the house belting out off-key renditions of the National Anthem basically all the time now. Chip knows me well enough to know that, in my head, I'm totally singing Whitney's version. So he always counters with Beyonce's version. Some couples fight about money, or infidelity, or how to raise their kids. Not us. If divorce papers are ever drawn up, Whitney vs. Beyonce will be mentioned in the first paragraph.

I present my case:

This is it. This is the standard diva anthem. This became a Top 20 hit! No one else has done that with The Star Spangled Banner! I believe that if this video were shot in HD and Whitney looked like Beyonce, Chip would maybe see my side of the argument differently. (Do not listen to him when he talks about ambitious chord progression.)

Chip's case:

Blah blah, chord progression, he's picturing her naked, etc. I agree that this is wonderful. But she's no Whitney.

Please feel free to pick a side. (Especially since  I already know you're going to pick Whitney. Duh.)

In case you're now worried that diva National Anthems have driven a permanent wedge between me and Chip, you should know that we are in total agreement as far as National Anthem fails go. We've decided that there is just no way to pick between Carl Lewis and Clent Bowers. It would be like naming a favorite child! These guys are so important to us!

Enjoy all of these, but particularly the segment starting at 1:25.

USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!

Hey Girl

Hey there. How is everyone? We're doing okay, thanks for asking.

Not to be dramatic, but the first half of 2012 was just monumentally awful for us, in a "first world problems" kind of way. In my adult life, I've only had one other time period that was as stressful. I have cried a LOT of tears so far this year. It hasn't been pretty.

However.

The kids don't know about all the adult stresses. They've had a great year. And things have turned around enough as a whole that I think I'm ready to be chatty again. I've got lots to tell you about my awesome kids, and plenty of fantastic pictures to illustrate their awesomeness. So let's get back to normal, shall we?

See you soon,
The Chockleyblogs

Nine

Six for Six

Happy birthday to my smart, beautiful, creative, wildly enthusiastic six-year-old girl! We love you!

Things

I know I didn't mention it, but Connor played basketball for Idlewild again this year. Emerald was our coach again, and we love her, but boy did this season suck. Our team just sucked. I know it's a rec league and is not supposed to be competitive, but I have never seen a group of  kids this uncoordinated in my life. Just awful. The first half of the season, Connor (and maybe I) cried after most games, just out of frustration. But out of loyalty to our awesome coach, we stuck with it, and went to every game and all but one practice. Connor made it through with his love of basketball still intact- something we were honestly worried about there for a minute.

In related news, does anyone know a competitive basketball team that Connor could try out for?

Also there are no pictures because Chip managed to not only skip two of these hideous, painful games but also "forgot" to bring his camera to any of the ones he attended. It might have been for the best.

Chloe can read. She loves school and comes home and tells me everything that happened and everything she learned. It's wonderful, since we've spent four years having this conversation with Connor:

Us: How was school today/what did you learn today/do anything exciting today?
C: Fine.

She came home a few weeks ago telling us everything there is to know about Martin Luther King, Jr. We were like, That's great stuff Chloe! Where did you learn that? and she said, We watched a film in library. And Connor chimes in with, Oh yeah, we watch that video every year. EVERY YEAR he says. Even Chloe rolled her eyes.

So speaking of school and reading and ways my kids are different: So far in 2012 there have been at least three times when Connor had a big project due that he decided not to mention or work on for the two weeks it was assigned, choosing instead to do it all the night before, and only then because I heard about it directly from the teacher rather than from Connor. (My blood pressure went up just typing that.) That kid! His other trick this year is to forget his lunch- it's at home, it's in my car, or it made it to school it's just that the empty lunchbox didn't make it back home. Sigh.

So anyway, this weekend we went to the public library to get sources for an independent project he's working on in CLUE. (Yes, I happened to run into the CLUE teacher last week or else I would have NEVER KNOWN that these sources were due to her last Wednesday.) I'm embarassed to say that it is the first time my kids have ever been to the public library. I think it's because I've always played fast and loose with our money at the bookstore. We used to go to Borders every few weeks, and I'd always let the kids pick out a book or two. I am physically unable to say no to a request for a new book. But now there's no Borders around the corner, and so suddenly the library makes a lot of sense.

I spent a lot of time at the library as a kid, but once I hit college and the library fines started stacking up, I kind of started avoiding the place. I'm pretty sure I would have to pay a lot of money to reinstate my borrowing privileges. So we used Chip's name as the responsible party on their card applications, and everything went smoothly! They both seemed excited about the whole process, although only one of the kids was SUPER excited and came home and read all her books to us and went to school and told her teacher all about her library card and which books she checked out. But the other kid seemed pretty impressed too. We have already marked the due date on the calendar- I'll get them back on time, I promise!

Quotes:
"I'm pulling for whoever wins."
- Connor, while watching the Slam Dunk contest

"Mom, your legs look kind of. . . crinkly."
-Chloe, after seeing me in my underwear

"Mom, you're really good at knowing stuff."
-Connor, in a rare acknowledgement that I know something and he doesn't

More Than Just Friends

Chip and I have liked each other as more than friends for eighteen years now!

Happy anniversary, baby!

Independence

When Connor was born, I spent the first week of his life gazing at him and sobbing about everything that would ever happen in his life. I cried for all the times his heart might be broken- by a friend, a significant other, the death of a pet, not making a team, etc. But I really shed tears over all the things he would do to break my heart. He would marry someone who wasn't ME! He's going to go to college and move out of the house! Drive a car that I'm not a passenger in! Spend the night with friends! So many times when he won't be in my direct line of sight! I called Mom for reassurance. "How did you ever let me ride my bike around the block without watching me do it!!!" She laughed and reminded me for the millionth time that week that when the time came, I would be ready. Then she hung up, shaking her head and giving thanks that I had, in fact, moved out and married someone besides her.

(Fast forward eight and a half years.)

Shortly after Christmas, Connor wanted to know if he and Chloe could ride their bikes in the cove in front of our house if they wore their helmets and promised to pay attention for cars. I hesitated for an instant but told them yes. Then Gidget and I sat at the window, watching them and whimpering because they were out there without us.

(Fast forward another four weeks.)

Yesterday, the kids were on their bikes and the dog and I were on foot. I suggested we go around the little block together, before it was time to go in.

(Pause: When I was growing up, our block was our block. There were no alternate routes that didn't add 2-3 miles and encompass several neighborhoods. Where we live now? A million ways to define our "block." What you need to know- neither the little block nor the big block go on any main roads. Unpause.)

As we started down the street, Connor was itching to pull away from the rest of us slowpokes. "Can I go around the big block?" he asked. I didn't exactly answer. Had the time come? Was I ready? A minute later, he begged again. "Yes," I relented, immediately picturing a thousand bad things that could happen to him the minute he pulled around that corner, out of my sight.

He took off fast, and as I saw him get to the one neighborhood road that had to be crossed, Chloe and I both called out, "LOOK!" He did- I could see his head exaggeratedly swiveling back and forth to assure me that he was looking both ways for cars. Then he rounded the corner. I told myself he would be fine, but not long after I saw a car turn down the road behind him. In my head I couldn't stop repeating, Please watch for my baby. Please don't hit my baby! And they didn't. Another corner and my fast-pedaling Connor met us right where we thought he would. Chloe took off after him, suddenly jealous that he could go fast by himself and she was stuck on training wheels with Mom and Gidget.

Gidget and I made a half-hearted attempt to run after them, but we couldn't keep up. They reached another corner in the distance, and stopped to look back at me. I shook my head yes, and off they went to travel the last few yards to the driveway without me. I followed at my own speed, still holding my breath for a second as I rounded the last corner myself, thrilled to find that we had all made it home just fine. The time came, and we were ready.

Chloe, Concentrating