Lost in translation

"Mom, where is he!!!"

"Where's who?"

"Dad, he's not here,and they are closing down the gym and shutting off the lights!"

Taking the phone away from my ear, I flashed on two things. Gary would never just leave Jennifer at her volleyball game (I'd just gotten home from work when I got this annoyed, panicked call), so he must be a. dead, b. mugged in the parking lot and almost dead or c. passed out in the bathroom from a heart attack and almost dead.

So I told Jennifer I'd be there in a bit, and called Gary on his cell. If he didn't pick up, I'd be dialing 911 next.

"Hello?"

"Where are you"

"I'm waiting for Jennifer's bus to drop her off at AHS"

What no one bothered to tell Gary was was there was no bus today and the kids had to get home on their own.

Again I was holding the phone away from my ear as he started to swear. Apparently both then blamed the other when they met back at the neighboring school's gym and started to yell....followed by sullen silence. She stalked back to her room when they got home, and Gary harrumphed around the kitchen, making himself a sandwich.

Eventually he apologized, but Jennifer wasn't in the mood. Unf. they both have to have the last word and both aren't nec. the best as saying they are sorry. As I finally told them separately, hey, it was a mix up, not intentional, move on.

But there will be a next time, for both of them, unf. They are both too much alike, too temperamental and did I mention both like to have the last word?

Have you hugged your kid today?

Even if they are snarly, sarcastic and refusing to do their chores.

Mine just uninvited me to an Auburn High School soccer game. But I don't mind, she chattered on about how boys are pigs (they eat alot and anything) and about some kids from one middle school "just won't shut up." She had me check out her face this am, to make sure cover up was on all the right pimples, and asked if the blue top or the green worked with the white flip flops.

All this stuff 3,000 people, plus their familes, the everyday chatter, will never see again, at least on this side of the veil for the last seven years. I was in DC when the plane hit the Pentagon, which I noted with some satisfaction, is the only site of the attacks that got its act together and got a memorial up. Jennifer was terrified I wasn't coming back, I was terrified I lost my brother in law, I wasn't sure that the attacks had stopped.

But now, seven years later, on a day much like that one, absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful, I noticed the moon tonight, the way the sun beams through the grass and the sunflowers, and the crow commute up the Kent Valley.

But mostly, I notice my daughter, now seven years and a lifetime older, and I give thanks.

Shopping for a New Dress

It was Easter after all.

And Jennifer headed out to the mall, with mom acting as the Easter Bunny (this is much more expensive than jelly beans) to buy a new dress. And I couldn't resist, I had to buy one for myself too.

Standing in line to try on said -almost strapless dress- for myself, I heard this exchange between father and daughter (who based on the slinky numbers walking into the dressing room, these were prom dresses, not Easter frocks).

Dad holds up dress from rack for daughter's approval, while she stands in line.

"Dad, I said nothing with sequins."

He holds up another offering.

"Not bows."

And yet another.

"That one gives me a headache," she sniffed, looking at the 1970s design of brown on orange.

I had to agree with her on that one. It made my head ache too, 30 years ago.

So, resigned, he walks over to darlin daughter and asks how much is the the slinky number she holding.

$150. Noticing his shocked look, she says "Now I told you it was going to cost that much before we went out."

He holds up headache dress. It's $60 cheaper.

"No way"