Tuesday Morning Brain Dump

My daughter, Marigrace, wants me to enter some sweepstakes. I told her no.

I didn't want to be bothered. I'll get more spam, I told her.

This morning when I opened my browser my new home page was this. Good grief.

*******

I worked yesterday and will today, but I'm taking Wednesday off to finish buying Steve school crap and packing. We take him to university on Thursday. I'm a little freaked out about that.

Then there's the inevitable scrapping for his bed as soon as he's out of the house. My six year old, Mark was the first to ask for it. Steve and Bill have shared a room for the last four years. The big room. The one big enough for two full size beds. I told Bill he could have his own room for one year and share with Steve when he's home for vacation. I don't think we can hold back Jack more than a year--once he's in high school he won't want to room with Mark.

It's weird to think of these changes. Just as one by one they came into our lives and rapidly changed our world, now they will leave. But in my mind I wonder how they could ever possibly be ready to leave. How did that happen?

*******

On Sunday night Steve and Bill's band had a gig down in Pontiac. It was really no place for a six year old, so Brian took a suburban full of middle school kids and I stayed home and hung out with Mark.

I wanted to do something. I didn't want him to feel bad about missing his brothers' concert; I didn't want to sit at the computer while he played video games or watched TV. So I asked him if he wanted to go kayaking.

I told him we would borrow "the banana." Just the name got him excited. One of my neighbors has a large yellow two man kayak.

So we struggled a little at first finding our balance. In the end we took turns paddling because doing so at the same time wasn't working very well. I stayed close to shore and steered us toward the beach at the state park.

We beached the kayak and he swam for about an hour. We played in the little waves and looked for flat stones for skipping in the rocky area. When he saw me skip one three times his eyes grew round. I'll find you some more, Mom! Here's a good flat one. Here's a good skipping stone. Here's another... As we played on the beach another mom walked by with her son. They had been fishing off the shore.

She called out to me, "That is so cool. Has anyone told you, you deserve the coolest mom award? Well I'll tell you. You are."

I was startled and looked at her with a huh?

"No, really. I saw you. Kayaking down here with your son, taking him swimming, being so patient with him. You are the coolest mom of the year."

I was so verklempt I said you're welcome. She laughed as I sputtered out an inadequate thank you.

There's nothing like the affirmation of a total stranger to take your breath away.