Toupé

Squareboy has a big neck. I washed his Angus Young get-up last night and this morning we both struggled to get the slightly shrunk dress shirt buttoned-up to the top button. I apologized and told him I would move the button over the weekend. He panicked and informed me that was against school rules. I explained I was only moving it half a centimeter to the right, so he could breath better. He panicked some more. I volunteered to clear it with his teacher. He continued panicking. I lied and told him it wasn't moving. Crap. Now I have to wait until I know he is sleeping to move the dang button.

Coming home from Catholic school a lady was walking an adorable pug in front of our apartment. Daughter and I stopped her and asked to pet him. It was a nice little two minute visit. Afterwards we walked into the apartment chatting about dogs. I said I liked black & white dogs best. She said she liked pink dogs best. I said they didn't have pink dogs. She said "Awww man!" And the lady, who wasn't much further away, laughed out loud. I choose to think we spread happiness wherever we go.

This is true even in our less than stellar moments. We have these a lot. Yesterday's winner was at daughters back-to-school night. The dad worked late so it was just me, her and squareboy (big boys playing in a tournament down the street). I even remembered to bring squareboy a snack. To no avail. Good behavior out the door, both of them wild, ill-mannered, whining and not listening. I gave them a little bit of free reign prior to the meeting praying it would calm them down enough so I can sit through the announcements & figure out what it is daughter will be learning this year. The principal calls the group to attention. Everyone sits, turns a quiet listening ear, and watches daughter do a stage dive right behind the principals back.

The whole flippin' gym ("a small gym" middle child consoled me later) laughs! The principal keeps his cool and sternly scolds daughter. What he says I have no idea. I'm blushing so hard the blood is pounding in my ears. Doesn't really matter, daughter seems to take no heed as she skips back to me, sits on the chair next to me with her feet over the top of the seat and her head dangling off the other end. That was the first five minutes. I'll leave you to imagine the other 40.

I am now going to impart a little piece of wisdom... do not start a new job at the same time as the kids go back to school. It's a bad idea. I came home exhausted last night after my first 8-hr shift, football practice for middle child, gamestore tournament for the big boys, and back to school night for daughter. So of course I zoned out for 15 minutes in front of my computer. Daughter has to go and chooses my bathroom, chatting away at me while I'm desperately trying to tune her out. She realizes this "HEY! MOM! I growed up." It does get my attention. "I got hair on my butt" two second pause "but mine comes off."

I'm rolling. The dad heard her from the other room, so did eldest and number two, and they are almost hysterical. Maybe it was the tone, the pride in finally having hair down there, maybe it was that hers was a toupé. No matter, it was just what I needed to get my final wind last night & get everything else done.