This morning, as I was driving through our neighborhood, I saw all the kids, standing outside at the bus stops, waiting for the bus to get them to take them to their first day of school. All of them looked miserable! Most were staring at the ground, scuffing the dirt with their brand new shoes. Others just glared at me as I drove by. Part of me wanted to roll down my window and tell them that, even though summer vacation is over now, school is awesome!
I'm sure I hated school. I can't remember, but I'm sure my mother would. However, something must have kept me going since I ended up attending school for just about twenty-one years. I have always had a firm belief that, whatever your chosen vocation, you should strive to achieve the highest level of education possible for your profession. For example, if you're in business, get an MBA. If you like the law, get a law degree. And so on and so forth.
So, as we were driving to Jack's "school" this morning, I started getting almost misty-eyed thinking that in a few short years, he'll be standing outside at the bus stop, scuffing his new shoes, and waiting for his first day of kindergarten. Jeff and I have always talked about what Jack might grow up to be, and we've agreed that - no matter what he decides - we want him to choose his career path with intelligence and perform it with passion. I think that is the only wish I dare express in the universe. We don't care what he wants to be, but we'll be there to support him as he makes those decisions. And I think that's all we can really do. We can offer him support and guidance so he can figure out who he is and the shape he wants his life to take. We can offer him the promise that we will love him - no matter what.
This is all very deep for a post-Labor Day post, I get that.
Even though I did get an extra day off this week, I am missing Jack today. It was just another day in his life though, and he was so excited to get to school this morning, screaming and laughing as we walked into his classroom. I think he knows that as soon as I leave, he gets to eat his breakfast. That's how they get him. They ply him with food.
We had a pretty great weekend as well. On Friday night, we went up to the club for supper. Jack is now a full-fledged participant in dinner. He sits in his high chair at the table, and eats with us. Granted, I usually help him and he only eats from meals I've packed, but Jeff let him try some of his duck, and I gave him a noodle from my Pad Thai. On Saturday, we were running around like crazy people, trying to get our chores done. I had hoped that we could get to the lake for some swimming, but the clock kind of ran out on the day. So, we ended up going to the Mall of America to walk around and get Jack some shoes. This kid needs new shoes. He has giant baby feet. Seriously, they're huge. And, in light of the fact that I think we're mere weeks away from his first steps, he's going to need some shoes. So, I spent way too much time, trying to find a pair of shoes that not only fit his feet but were cute too. After some moderate success, we had dinner. Again, Jack had a bite of Jeff's fish and had some of my noodles and chicken. He loved the noodles and kept smacking his lips and trying to reach for my plate to get some more. Here is is, showing off his new kicks:
On Sunday, we went to the Renaissance Festival down in Shakoppee. It was weird. I remember going as a little girl on one or two occasions, but I hadn't been in several years. I think I'm good for another fifteen years. Seriously, it was weird. There were way too many people dressed in quite revealing medieval clothing that shouldn't be wearing that sort of thing. Very historically inaccurate. And very inappropriate. Let's just put it this way - there was a belly dancing competition there on the day we went, and everybody, save for me and Jeff, had it hanging out there. In a related comment, I'm quite surprised at people's tattoos and the places they get them. Jack may have had a good time, it was too hot to tell. We really didn't spend that much time there, mostly because there wasn't really anything for us to do and we weren't going to spend any money on inappropriate medieval clothing or t-shirts with horrible sayings on them. I sound like a prude, but if you had seen what we'd seen... Well, our retinas are scarred. But, the Renaissance Festival doers have better people-watching than the State Fair and Mall of America - COMBINED!
Yesterday, Jack and I met my sister and Wim at Interlachen for a little end-of-the-year swimming. As we were getting out of the pool, I remarked how different things are now than they were a year ago. We used to meet at the pool all the time on the weekends and bake in the sun for hours at a time. Yesterday, we picked a spot in the shade and spent most of the time trying to keep the kids' floaty things upright. I barely managed a tan line, much less a sunburn, all summer. That's fine, though...and good for me! We also had to arrange our meeting time around naps and lunch. So, yes, the times, they are a-changin'...
I should point out that Jack is 40 weeks old - today. He's still got a few more days before we can officially declare that he's been on the "outside" longer than he was on the "inside" but we'll call it close enough, I guess...we go to the doctor on Monday for his nine month check-up. I'm actually anxious to see how he measures up, height and weight-wise, because he feels like a giant baby to me. In somewhat related news, we went back to the ENT last Friday for a follow-up on his tubes, and I'm pleased to report the procedure was a complete success. His hearing has returned to normal, his ear canals looked nice and dry, and there were no more puncture holes in his little ear drums. Plus, he was given the "all clear" signal to start swimming lessons next weekend. So, that's kind of a big deal. He's also getting more and more teeth - yesterday when we were at the pool, I think I counted about three or four new little ones poking through. He'll have a full set of chompers in no time.
While this age is fun, it's also completely exhausting. Emotionally and physically. Jack is so mobile, that he doesn't want to sit still. Which is fine, but he cannot be left alone. Not for a minute. There's also the hair-pulling, pinching, and biting we've got to contend with as well. He's also learned to get himself out of just about every contraption, and even running to the bathroom is a test of speed and a gamble of luck. Don't even get me started on what he does if I take him INTO the bathroom with me. I haven't decided which option is the lesser of two evils. Last night, I was standing in front of the sink, holding a hot pot in my hand, and Maverick was literally under my feet, trying to will me to make a mistake, and Jack was ramming his Beep Beep into the back of my ankles trying to get to Maverick. I kept thinking, "it will get better, it will get better," but for now - my body is covered in bruises. But, I wear them proudly. They are my marks of motherhood.
On Sunday, we went to the Renaissance Festival down in Shakoppee. It was weird. I remember going as a little girl on one or two occasions, but I hadn't been in several years. I think I'm good for another fifteen years. Seriously, it was weird. There were way too many people dressed in quite revealing medieval clothing that shouldn't be wearing that sort of thing. Very historically inaccurate. And very inappropriate. Let's just put it this way - there was a belly dancing competition there on the day we went, and everybody, save for me and Jeff, had it hanging out there. In a related comment, I'm quite surprised at people's tattoos and the places they get them. Jack may have had a good time, it was too hot to tell. We really didn't spend that much time there, mostly because there wasn't really anything for us to do and we weren't going to spend any money on inappropriate medieval clothing or t-shirts with horrible sayings on them. I sound like a prude, but if you had seen what we'd seen... Well, our retinas are scarred. But, the Renaissance Festival doers have better people-watching than the State Fair and Mall of America - COMBINED!
Yesterday, Jack and I met my sister and Wim at Interlachen for a little end-of-the-year swimming. As we were getting out of the pool, I remarked how different things are now than they were a year ago. We used to meet at the pool all the time on the weekends and bake in the sun for hours at a time. Yesterday, we picked a spot in the shade and spent most of the time trying to keep the kids' floaty things upright. I barely managed a tan line, much less a sunburn, all summer. That's fine, though...and good for me! We also had to arrange our meeting time around naps and lunch. So, yes, the times, they are a-changin'...
I should point out that Jack is 40 weeks old - today. He's still got a few more days before we can officially declare that he's been on the "outside" longer than he was on the "inside" but we'll call it close enough, I guess...we go to the doctor on Monday for his nine month check-up. I'm actually anxious to see how he measures up, height and weight-wise, because he feels like a giant baby to me. In somewhat related news, we went back to the ENT last Friday for a follow-up on his tubes, and I'm pleased to report the procedure was a complete success. His hearing has returned to normal, his ear canals looked nice and dry, and there were no more puncture holes in his little ear drums. Plus, he was given the "all clear" signal to start swimming lessons next weekend. So, that's kind of a big deal. He's also getting more and more teeth - yesterday when we were at the pool, I think I counted about three or four new little ones poking through. He'll have a full set of chompers in no time.
While this age is fun, it's also completely exhausting. Emotionally and physically. Jack is so mobile, that he doesn't want to sit still. Which is fine, but he cannot be left alone. Not for a minute. There's also the hair-pulling, pinching, and biting we've got to contend with as well. He's also learned to get himself out of just about every contraption, and even running to the bathroom is a test of speed and a gamble of luck. Don't even get me started on what he does if I take him INTO the bathroom with me. I haven't decided which option is the lesser of two evils. Last night, I was standing in front of the sink, holding a hot pot in my hand, and Maverick was literally under my feet, trying to will me to make a mistake, and Jack was ramming his Beep Beep into the back of my ankles trying to get to Maverick. I kept thinking, "it will get better, it will get better," but for now - my body is covered in bruises. But, I wear them proudly. They are my marks of motherhood.
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