Odds and Ends

Don't strain yourself trying to find a theme in today's wandering narrative, because I'll tell you right now that there isn't one. Just some random stories that popped up during the past week that made us chuckle. There, now you can relax and read on... (You're welcome!) 

So, one recent evening I was in the middle of making the roasted butternut squash soup recipe that I love, but I’d forgotten that I needed an onion. Without a second thought, I hopped in the car and drove over to the nearest grocery store to pick one up…’cuz that’s just what you do, yeah? It wasn’t until I’d returned that Husband pointed out, “You totally wasted an opportunity to send Derek to do your emergency supply run!” Ohhhh…RIGHT! Yes, I absolutely should have made the minion--um "beloved son"-- take care of that for me. Rats! Clearly, I'm not yet used to the idea of being able to exploit the driving teenager for my pesky little chores—I’ll have to work on that!

Another entry in the category of “Things That Have Changed Lately, and Require Parental Adjustment” (ugh, that’s a terrible title…hmm…how about “New Stuff That Freaks Us Out?” Yeah, that's much better…): last Sunday night, Husband stuck his head into the room where I was reading and announced, “One of them just pulled up in the car. And the other one is downstairs…shaving!”

He paused for a moment, looking somewhat bemused, before extending a hand, approximately waist-high and asking, “What happened to our cute, little children?” While this could very well have been interpreted as a rhetorical question, I suspected that he actually wanted an answer. But the truth is, although they’re still cute, and still ours, the “little” part disappeared quite some time ago, and we’re just gonna have to accept it. (It’s fine, really! I’m okay...sniffle….)

And one more—over the weekend we tried to figure out a good time for me to take the boys for haircuts. (I swear it's every 2 months, like clockwork—it’s almost eerily predictable. I suppose we can just go ahead and add that to the column of "things that are easier when you're a GUY!) But with their social activities, and homework, and televised sporting events they just HAD to watch (college basketball. The madness is real…) we couldn’t pinpoint a free window of time to make the trip.

Then they found out about the newly granted midweek reprieve from school, for International Women’s Day, which opened up another option. “But you’ll have to wait until I get home at 2:15,” I told them, “How does that sound?” Riley grimaced and sheepishly replied, “Um…there’s a Champion’s League [professional soccer] match that starts around that time…” I was about to groan about being thwarted again when it hit me: they could take their own dang selves to Great Clips and get it done while I was at work! (The heavens brightened, and I heard a distant chorus of Hallelujah from on high…or just, you know, my overactive imagination…)

When I shared my brilliant scheme with Derek, however, he was…skeptical? Concerned? Let’s just say there was a definite lack of confidence in his demeanor, even as I assured him it would be fine. I mean, it’s not like he hasn’t been there for each and every grooming session in the past, so he’s seen how it’s done. The only thing he actually voiced was, “Can you give us money for it?” Okay, that’s fair; although he has a debit card, he’s not responsible for paying for this kind of…personal upkeep…at least at this point in his young life. Mom and Dad can continue to shell out for the salon visits—so I gave him the exact amount he’d need, including the gratuities for each stylist, along with explicit instructions for how it should be divided (not leaving anything to chance…or better yet, the unpredictable workings of the Teenage Boy Brain).

As it turned out, they handled their inaugural Solo Haircut Field Trip with ease. When I returned from my day at the office, there they were, freshly shorn and looking much neater than when I’d left. As a bonus, they informed me that there had been a sale going on, so they basically got a 2-for-1 deal. Of course, this caused Derek to have to figure out the tip by himself,...and given his inexperience with these matters, and his aversion to doing math outside of school hours, he left a verrrry generous amount. (But really, that’s never a bad way to go, so I’m not gonna discourage it…)

And there you have it, tales from a relatively quiet week around Casa WestEnders. Hey...I have a few more days to figure out what errands I don't feel like doing, that I can foist off on Derek this weekend. Maybe I'll just tell him International Women's Day was soooo successful that they decided to extend it...to a week-long celebration...mwah hah hah!