The first day of the new year is usually surprisingly ordinary. I am not sure what the rest of the population experiences, but it isn’t as if some announcer is pledging, “this will be the best year of your life”. Around this time, I am ready for the “children” – hard to refer to them as that since they are 18 and 22 – to return to their routine. Oh, yes, I am aware of those who can’t stand the thought of their offspring leaving after a long holiday break, but I am not one of those mothers. My identity isn’t wrapped up in those delightful children I shoved out of my body.
I was able to enjoy several hours of estrogen filled quiet as the guys went to go see the Stars Wars movie. For about two weeks, there has been a fury of dirty clothes, an overflowing dishwasher that is run at least twice a day, and a refrigerator that somehow loses food as I fill it up. Fortunately, the boys do their own laundry, but I feel my appliances begging for a break.
There are a lot of “lasts” in this scenario. I find myself counting them as we move closer to Bryce’s high school graduation. However, after a situation later in the evening, I wonder if he is even prepared to go. Maybe I need to up the life skills program at our house. Bryce noticed that there was a present from one of our cats – a hairball. Being such a team player, he said he would go downstairs to clean it up. I love when my kids take the initiative. Most of the time, they simply walk past it and then I find it weeks later. Such a joy. I went downstairs to retrieve something I had left, and noticed he was using a large amount of paper towels to eliminate the mess and then transferring them into the toilet. Oh, for the love of Jesus! Thank God, I came down when I did. I used my sweet, comforting voice instead of my scary, panicked voice to inform him that paper towels can’t be put in the toilet. He stared at me as if I had just told him we no longer will be having WIFI in our home. I shared what would happen if he flushed them. Still staring at me, he asked, “So how do I get them out?” Oh, Jesus take the wheel. I tell him to get the long grilling tongs and a garbage bag. I executed the removal perfectly. He was unimpressed.
Yes, the first day of the new year resulted in a life lesson for Bryce. One more day of my two offspring occupying this space and then back to the real world. I might be a little giddy, but I will try to refrain myself so I don’t hurt their feelings. Just grateful that my basement didn’t turn into the pool that Brian has always wanted.
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