An Eighteen Year Old and Welcome Spring Break!

So much has happened that I'm not sure where to begin.  First I should tell you that I'm getting ready for a book signing in my home town for If I Grow A Beard, Do I Have to Dye That Too?  Of course, you know how I feel about public speaking so as you can imagine I'm stoked!  I have had some visions that it goes very well.  Let's hope that it does and I don't embarrass myself in front of everyone.

Daphne turned eighteen.  I am now the mother of a legal adult!  It seems crazy to think that she is going to be going to college in the fall.  She has already chosen her college and spent the night there for an admitted student weekend.  She is excited for this next step in her life and we are as well.  I am trying to remain supportive and yet I'm a little freaked out at the same time.  On her birthday I went up to random people at work to ask if I looked older.  "Do I have any extra wrinkles?  Do you see any extra grey hairs?"  These are questions I asked people.  Other than thinking that perhaps I had lost a couple more marbles, everyone seemed to think I looked the same age as I was the day before.

This last Saturday we had her family birthday party.  (Disclaimer:  It is about to be revealed to you exactly how I became the way I am.)  We had the party at a local pizza parlor and invited the usual cast of characters.  My in-laws and my side of the family which consists of my grandma, dad, two aunts, an uncle, and one cousin for this particular party.  There was a room set up with one long table with enough chairs to accommodate everyone invited.  We (my husband and children and I) strategically scattered ourselves among the seating so as to be able to socialize with the guests instead of just each other.  My grandma and my uncle were the first to arrive.  My grandma promptly proclaims that she must sit in the booth off to the side because of her back.  So she sits there and my uncle sits with her.  As everyone arrived people said hello and I noticed the most ridiculous thing was happening.  My in-laws all came to sit with us and everyone from my side of the family squeezed around that small table where grandma had perched herself, grabbing chairs and sitting over there and not socializing with anyone but each other through the entire party.  Not even the birthday girl was acknowledged aside from a hello and happy birthday.  When I realized what was happening, I started giggling at the craziness of the situation I found us in.

Through the entire party they spoke to only each other and didn't intermingle at all until they were leaving at which point they told everyone goodbye and left before we had all the cupcakes passed out.  It is at times like this I wonder why we bother.  At what point do we just give up and say, "you know what, I don't think it's worth it."  I thought back to our wedding.  I distinctly remember lighting the unity candle that united our families making us one big family and yet...that is not what I witnessed at this party.  If anything I felt as though I had just witnessed a family reunion that we weren't allowed to participate in.  As mentioned before we had plenty of seating at the large table that was set up for everyone. You know...the cupcakes were pretty good.  I'm sorry they missed out.

Today is the first day of Spring Break for us.  In case your children are in need of shots for school, I should tell you that the first day of Spring Break is a great time to get shots.  Everyone is gone and it is nothing to get in and get out. 

We started the morning with this statement from me to them:  "Listen guys, there is a lot of work that needs to happen in this house this week and we all need to help."   To which Daphne responded with, "Yeah you have fun with that I'm working every day."  I looked at Scotty and said, "You really need to work on your room."  He said, "Yeah I was thinking about that and I think you should buy me another laundry basket."  "Why do you need another laundry basket?"  "So I can get the dirty laundry off of my floor."  "But you could just go down and get your clean laundry that is in your current basket and put it away so you can put your dirty laundry in it."  "No I don't like that idea.  I think we should do my plan."  "No, just no.  Go down and get your clean laundry and bring it up and put it away."  And so it went.  At this point I'm not sure what I've done to get these children to be so silly.  (Wait don't answer that!  I just remembered I'm their mom.  Message received.)  But I did get Daphne and Megan to do some chores today and Scotty did end up seeing things my way and put his laundry away.  He says it's my fault that he is behind because I keep doing laundry.  Something tells me that he is going to have my logic when it comes to certain things and I can't decide whether to be frightened or proud.  I'm leaning toward proud.  Heaven help us all!