I had a 9:30am conference call today. I can almost tell you what we talked about. It was a big struggle to keep my eyelids from clasping down over my eyes. This staying up until 3 o’clock in the morning thing is not for me. Maybe fifteen years ago I could have stayed up that late and still have been functional in the morning, but unfortunately those days are long gone for me now. Thank goodness for naps.
As mentioned yesterday, I drove my son to school at 2:30 in the morning; right on schedule for his long trip to Washington D.C. We found his chaperon, got his luggage tags on his suitcase and carry-on, and he got his emergency card (a card he must carry at all times with a phone number he can call should he get separated from the group at any point in the trip…although he can’t find his cell phone so I hope he has change for a payphone if he gets lost). Then we stood around and waited for him to board the charter bus.
Once I talked to his chaperon, my love-of-my-life thirteen-year-old did not want me hanging around anymore. I got him there and after just a couple minutes he was ready for me to leave. I was just the chauffeur. Teenagers! It’s not like I was the only parent there. Lots of other parents were still there hanging out with their kids until the very last minute too. Teens just don’t understand how nerve-wrecking a thousand mile trip is on a parent. In twenty years, when he has a kid and goes through this I expect him to call me with an apology.
After several “Ok, Mom. You can leave now,” speeches, he walked away from me. He actually walked away from me, leaving me standing there by myself. His mother. The woman who gave birth to him. The woman who spent the last three days in a total panic because her baby is leaving the nest. The nerve of him.
If I hadn’t been so tired I would have had strong words to say about that. Instead I shuffled over to him and threatened to give him a big kiss on the lips if he didn’t give me a hug before I left. [I also threatened to rub my snotty nose on him because I’m mature like that at 2:30 in the morning.] I’m not sure if it was the threat of the kiss or the snot, but either way he finally gave me a hug goodbye.
As I walked out of the school cafeteria I looked back through the sea of eighth graders to see him in conversation and laughing with his friends. He didn’t even miss me. I wiped away a tear and walked to my car. Kids grow up way too fast.
Tags: class trip, teen, Washington D.C.Share This
