Maybe you trusted I had the skills to untangle the wires of your beloved slinky, or the know-how to coax the piece-of-shiitake plastic back to its original form. I like to think I was your last hope. But more likely, it ended up on the counter because I asked you to clear the table, and we both know that “clearing the table” is synonymous in your brain with, “take my beach shovel and take loads over to the counter.”
When the girls were babies, I kept a notebook for each of them, and I’d write down memories and funny stories. Each year, on their birthday, I’d write them a flowery love note. This lasted approximately 2 years. Then, I started keeping a note on my phone with their best quotes. It was a way to not only track their growth, but also a reminder to me as their mom that little humans can be just as wise (if not wiser) than adults. I present to you, Alice Jane, in her own words:
Every summer, I hit a point where I no longer enjoy the flexibility of a school-free schedule. Some may call this point rock-bottom, others may call it losing-your-sh*t. And it is in this moment, every summer, that I declare in my brain, “It is time to return to school.”
©2023 · Laura Onstot