Una Chica

Kids are full of curiosity. Mine are no different. Take for example today. On a quick trip to a local convenience store on the way home from an after school club activity, D. and I were discussing different things as usual. Today we were discussing the solar system and he was telling me all about the projects everyone presented for class today. I was very excited to listen as he worked really hard on his, with the help of his dad and his oldest brother. So, he was telling me about them and he had my digital camera sitting in his lap, very excited to show me all the pictures he took today. Being a very proud parent and no different than any other, I'll upload them this week sometime, as he will be taking the camera back to school tomorrow for the rest of the projects being presented.

So yeah, we were in a chatty mood. Finally we get to the store and I tell him he can get him and his brothers a beef jerky and a soda and he better be snappy about it because if it ain't on the counter when I'm ready to pay, it ain't going home with us. That boy can dawdle at the store! I get my funyuns and tell the nice cashier to ring me up a carton of cigarettes and then I holler at him that the bank is leaving town. Checking out. Move it already, kid. He gets up to the counter, piles all of his loot on it and then sees the miscellaneous items stashed all over the counter by the register. Typical of every convenience store known to man. He sees this little box with some cylindrical tubes in it and asks me what they are. I then proceed to tell him that they are ginseng shooters. He, of course, says what is that? I'm racking my brain for the word I know is right there. Of course when you need to know it, it's gone. But I was already talking. And thinking at the same time. Not a good combination in situations when kids are requesting information and they want the answers yesterday. What comes out of my mouth had that boy snickering like he was a world weary man who'd been there, done that. What came out of my mouth was, 'it's weed'. Then, trying to correct my blunder (while still trying to find that word tha t I know, but don't know), I say, 'it's grass'. Oh my. Can we please get the lady a thesauras, folks. There were several people waiting behind me patiently while they processed my credit card. I was blushing furiously and they were all twittering at my like they'd been there, done that. So I start mumbling to myself, hoping I'd get it together and get the kid the correct word I was trying to reference. And finally, like the shot that blasts through the air at the beginning of a race, it came to me. I blurted out, 'it's an organic herb. And don't ask me what organic means right at this precise second'. Grabbed my stuff, gathered my kid to my side and scrambled to make tracks, all the while hoping this would be a selective memory moment for him. I certainly don't need his teacher calling me tomorrow and asking me my kid knows where to buy some grass. At the least, it would be a tricky explanation.

Took D. to baseball practice a little while ago. We were almost to the ball field when I suddenly realized his mitt was at home. Suddenly I was very angry.

D. loves his friends. If he's at home, they're all here. Five or six of them at any given time. No problem. I'm an understanding mom. When they're all not here, he's at their house. As long as I know where he is, I repeat... I do not have a problem with this. What a do have a problem with is my kids just taking off. Running around the neighborhood with their buddies. This is not happening. I can drive anywhere and I'll see tons of younger kids (8-13 years old) walking/running/biking/skating all over town. On the main streets. At the supermarket. They're everywhere. Not my kids. They're too young to be going off unsupervised all around town.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. D. loves his buddies. D. loves his sports. But when it comes time for him to go practice or a game, it takes forever to drag him away from them. I have to start reminding him about 2 hours ahead of time. And most of the time, we're still late getting there. So I figured I'd save a little time having to get the gear together by keeping it in my car during the season. This also keeps them from just grabbing them and leaving them all around the house/yard so we have to go hunting every time we need to leave.

Saturday, D. got into my car and took his glove after I told him to use one from the game room. He took it and left it lying in the carport under my van. So I told him he'd be lucky if I gave it back to him, took it into the house and put it up. On the way to practice today, I'm like, 'oh hoolies'. I forgot it wasn't in his bag. So I had to turn all the way around and go right back home to grab it. So I called C. and asked him to go to my office and grab it. He said it wasn't there. I sent him to my room to check. No luck. So I was so mad, I hung up on him. That is a first for me. I usually don't hang up on anyone except for h. when I'm peeved with him. And that very rarely. So I felt bad, but not that bad. I was pissed. We're running late and now I've got to search hi and lo for this damned glove.

I get home and C. tells me he's sorry, but he couldn't find it. He said we lost the connection when he was trying to tell me that on the phone. I told him we didn't lose it, I hung up on him. I really need to apologise, I know. It took me about 10 minutes to find it. It was right where I put it. I meant to keep it out of D's sight, not mine. That always happens.

Oh yeah, when we were leaving the first time, C. asked me if I'd seen his orange gel pen. I said no. He asked me if I'd seen it laying around and put it up somewhere. Again, I said no. I hadn't seen it. Well, when I get home to try to find the mitt, he asked me, "Are you sure you haven't put it up somewhere, mom?". No. No, I didn't. Ask me again. I told him to shut up about the damned pen. I really need to apologise, I know.

To top it all off, I. ran off to his friend's house before we had to leave after I told them both to stay around our house. When I got home to look for the mitt, he was sitting in the living room. I yelled at him to go to his room. Maybe I'll let him out next year.

Dropped D. off at practice. Wish someone was walking on the road. I really wanted to hit someone! In a bad way.