God bless the middle school teachers of the world.
Tip o' the hat to all of you who spend your days coaxing coltish pre-teens into staying in their seats and not throwing sandwiches at each other.
My own career as a high school teacher cemented my belief that middle school teachers are better human beings than I am.
I really needed -- on a cellular level -- students who could wait the better part of ten minutes in between bathroom breaks.
My boy is going into middle school.
On one hand, he likes to hug me and call me on the phone to ask things in an Eeyore-ish voice. "Hey mom. It's me. Just checking to see if it would be OK if I cooked some oatmeal."
On the other, he believes he is ready to drive our car. Just to the grocery store, mom! I just want to get some more of those cashews I like!
I'm certain it would stop at the grocery store, right? Never one foot beyond? Nary a toe across the line, right, son?
I call him son a lot.
Because he is. My one and only.
Now that he's about to enter the fascinating world of switching classrooms and archery during P.E., he's speaking a whole new language.
My own mother tongue. Sarcasm.
It's been fun for me to watch his brain move past concrete thinking and into the abstract. We now share the same sense of humor, and the more dry I am, the funnier he thinks it is.
For now, at least.
When I look at these pictures, portraits of an eleven year old, I see a sixteen year old lurking in the shadows behind his eyes. I see a boy who really can drive a car. I see a 6'4" nearly-grown man eating $150 of food every day.
I see my baby, my first baby, my ten pound boy with the chubby legs.
Oh, middle school. You be good to him. Or I'll... I'll...
I don't know what. But you won't like it.
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Today is July 1st! Which means that I'll be at The Yarn Spot in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC, in just three more days!
The July 4th party is always fun -- you already have the day off, why not come spend it with us? Stop by anytime between 9:30 and 3:00 to say hello and snag yummy goodies! No registration is necessary, this is open house style!
I *may* have brought a *few* one of a kind items with me. And there *may* be just a tickle, a whisper, of one pound mini skein bundles. And I *think* I might be bringing Baby Shamrock along.
See you on July 4th!