summertime banter
Our friend Anna leaves for college on Thursday. She and my Seth have known each other, as they like to say, since they were babies — I was with her mother when Anna was born, and Anna's mum was with me when Seth was born.
6/17
The boys and I rode our bicycles to the bank, Seth helpfully identifying every airplane that flew over. Then we pedaled on over to GardenSphere to pick up our new chicks, two Golden Buffs, which peeped and peeped and peeped all the way home in their little box in my bike basket.
There was no bickering between the boys on that ride.
And then later I realized that we were all eating out of one opened jar of Nutella. I'd bought two just the other day, because in the past, one jar would be labeled with "S" and the other with "E." Sharing, and no labels now.
And the sun was shining. Good day.
For several years now, Anna and Seth have pretty regularly gotten together at our place to make chocolate chip cookies. It's their thing. One day recently, I came home from a miserable day at work to find homemade chocolate ice cream churning away and cookies coming out of the oven. And the next day, I found this mystery:
 |
| "Just what have you two been up to?" "That's called 'math,' Mother." "But why would you do this? To torment me?" "Yes." |
You just can't trust these kids alone in the house!
Well, tonight they were going to have a last cookie hurrah, but they decided to go to an event at a local coffee shop instead.
Which is as it should be.
It is pleasant and quiet in the house. Very quiet. This is our first summer without Eli. He was only home three weeks before he left for the Philippines.
So I was tickled when I found notes I had kept *last* summer, 2013, snippets of conversations, funnies, things I had forgotten.
Here are a few:
6/17
The boys and I rode our bicycles to the bank, Seth helpfully identifying every airplane that flew over. Then we pedaled on over to GardenSphere to pick up our new chicks, two Golden Buffs, which peeped and peeped and peeped all the way home in their little box in my bike basket.
There was no bickering between the boys on that ride.
And then later I realized that we were all eating out of one opened jar of Nutella. I'd bought two just the other day, because in the past, one jar would be labeled with "S" and the other with "E." Sharing, and no labels now.
And the sun was shining. Good day.
6/18
Tonight we had a very impromptu dinner with little Greta, about to turn five, and her parents. The adults were discussing a recipe, which requires a large quantity of butter, which we naturally agreed was highly desirable, when suddenly Greta threw up her arms and cried, "INFINITY BUTTER!"
Tonight we had a very impromptu dinner with little Greta, about to turn five, and her parents. The adults were discussing a recipe, which requires a large quantity of butter, which we naturally agreed was highly desirable, when suddenly Greta threw up her arms and cried, "INFINITY BUTTER!"
6/19
This morning a squirrel was making moves toward the bird feeders that Eli had just filled, and he, Eli, went charging outside, coffee in one hand, waving the other arm Mr. McGregor style, chasing off the "wee beastie!"
Earlier he had looked up at me and asked very sweetly, "What will you be feeding me today, Mother?" Then added in his normal voice, "I was being Seth. How did I do?"
This morning a squirrel was making moves toward the bird feeders that Eli had just filled, and he, Eli, went charging outside, coffee in one hand, waving the other arm Mr. McGregor style, chasing off the "wee beastie!"
Earlier he had looked up at me and asked very sweetly, "What will you be feeding me today, Mother?" Then added in his normal voice, "I was being Seth. How did I do?"
Seth hollered from the other room in his serious grim way, "No. Like this: 'WHAT'S FOR LUNCH?'"
6/26
Here are a few things you don't expect to hear when you get home from work:
"While you were gone I cleaned the kitchen. Oh. And I wrote an amendment to the student senate constitution."
6/27
My laptop just told me, in that creepy computer voice, "ground control to Major Tom, you are now running on reserve battery power."
They know how much I hate that song. Evil. Sneaky, evil children.
6/28
Greta and her mum and Greta's cousin came over to share ice cream with us, and, as per usual, Greta requested that we read a book together. "The scariest story you have, please." So I found my old copy of Vassilisa the Beautiful, the one I bought at EXPO 86 in Vancouver, at the Russian Exhibit.
We had just gotten to Baba Yaga's hut: "The fence round it was made of human bones and crowned with human skulls, the gate was no gate but the bones of men's legs, the bolts, no bolts, but the bones of men's arms, and the lock, no lock but a set of sharp teeth." I paused for breath.
6/26
Here are a few things you don't expect to hear when you get home from work:
"While you were gone I cleaned the kitchen. Oh. And I wrote an amendment to the student senate constitution."
6/27
My laptop just told me, in that creepy computer voice, "ground control to Major Tom, you are now running on reserve battery power."
They know how much I hate that song. Evil. Sneaky, evil children.
6/28
Greta and her mum and Greta's cousin came over to share ice cream with us, and, as per usual, Greta requested that we read a book together. "The scariest story you have, please." So I found my old copy of Vassilisa the Beautiful, the one I bought at EXPO 86 in Vancouver, at the Russian Exhibit.
We had just gotten to Baba Yaga's hut: "The fence round it was made of human bones and crowned with human skulls, the gate was no gate but the bones of men's legs, the bolts, no bolts, but the bones of men's arms, and the lock, no lock but a set of sharp teeth." I paused for breath.
Greta announced, "I'm SKEP-tical!"
But we proceeded past the scariest parts, adequately scary, and got to the happy ending, where the tsar sets eyes on Vassilisa and "fell madly in love with her."
But we proceeded past the scariest parts, adequately scary, and got to the happy ending, where the tsar sets eyes on Vassilisa and "fell madly in love with her."
And Eli announced, "Well, that escalated rather quickly."
To which Greta responded, "Do you know what? My feet are so hot, my toes are sweaty!"
7/26
Favorite moments from Seth's piano recital tonight:
Baby murmur back of the hall, right side, followed immediately by baby voice back of the hall, left side: "I hear a baby!"
Many boys, very dapper in their impeccable outfits, had wild pokey, untamed hair. My own child being the oldest and tallest of the pokey hair crew.
The several tiny children who looked at the floor to line up their wee feet very, very, very *carefully* and with utter concentration and seriousness before finally looking up to smile take their bow.
ALL THE TINY DRESSES.
The little girl who wanted to get RIGHT DOWN TO BUSINESS and started to play almost before she finished sitting down and well before her teacher had taken a seat at the piano next to her.
The little boys who played so well, followed all the protocol for bowing, etc., then ran like bats outta hell off the stage.
It was a good night.
8/5
Tonight's friendly kitchen banter:
To which Greta responded, "Do you know what? My feet are so hot, my toes are sweaty!"
7/26
Favorite moments from Seth's piano recital tonight:
Baby murmur back of the hall, right side, followed immediately by baby voice back of the hall, left side: "I hear a baby!"
Many boys, very dapper in their impeccable outfits, had wild pokey, untamed hair. My own child being the oldest and tallest of the pokey hair crew.
The several tiny children who looked at the floor to line up their wee feet very, very, very *carefully* and with utter concentration and seriousness before finally looking up to smile take their bow.
ALL THE TINY DRESSES.
The little girl who wanted to get RIGHT DOWN TO BUSINESS and started to play almost before she finished sitting down and well before her teacher had taken a seat at the piano next to her.
The little boys who played so well, followed all the protocol for bowing, etc., then ran like bats outta hell off the stage.
It was a good night.
8/5
Tonight's friendly kitchen banter:
S: "Less talking. Shush."
E: "You always shush me when I'm right about something. Why is that?"
S: "I have a knife and I'm not afraid to use it."
E: "Threats of violence never accomplish anything. George Bush learned that. And now Mom's going to post this on Facebook."
S: "Posting on Facebook never accomplished anything, either."
* * * * * * *
Posting on Facebook may not accomplish much, except it might bring a little bit of shared pleasure. Moments of delight are an accomplishment. Piling up many moments, good work.
The night before I left for college, I was out late at the beach. My mother was annoyed, because we had an early flight the next morning. But it was right to enjoy that last sunset on Kauai, talking into the night, and I was glad to have a companion.
Seth and Anna are good companions, and it is right that he should be with her before she sets off on the college adventure, this next chapter of her life. And it feels right to look back at that time last summer with Eli home, to remember who we were together.
Pile up the moments, people. And take notes!
The night before I left for college, I was out late at the beach. My mother was annoyed, because we had an early flight the next morning. But it was right to enjoy that last sunset on Kauai, talking into the night, and I was glad to have a companion.
Seth and Anna are good companions, and it is right that he should be with her before she sets off on the college adventure, this next chapter of her life. And it feels right to look back at that time last summer with Eli home, to remember who we were together.
Pile up the moments, people. And take notes!
Comments
Post a Comment