Life of Wry

It’s becoming apparent–more and more so by the day–that we’ve entered a new era in parenting.

Today’s we’re-not-in-Kansas-anymore moment came when I returned from a morning walk to find that Peter had left the building, as it were (exhibit A, above).  He was literally nowhere to be found at 9:30 on a Tuesday morning.  Well, he was nowhere to be found in the house.  He was to be found at Rainbow City, a little sub area of Community Park, where he was meeting a bunch of friends, on this, a Tuesday, in the middle of a new school holiday week (thank you decimated state budget).  And, in fact, he’d texted me with that very information…. if I’d just look at my mobile unit thingie once in a while.

Well, none of that was cause for alarm.  Rather, I was pleased he’d gotten up relatively early, maybe even eaten some breakfast, and was off to spend his furlough day with friends, without my suggesting same.  He’d even cleared his breakfast dishes from the table and locked the front door.  He’d EVEN texted me!  All systems in good working order.

It gets better.

About an hour later, I experienced my next Exciting Parenting Moment.  I hear an impatient handling of front door hardware, followed by herd-like stomping down the hall, and a breathless announcement:

“MomIneed$30soMiaandIcangobowlingbecauseshedoesn’thaveanymoneyand

sheandJackandReedarewaitingokmomisthatok?”

She?

Well, well.  And yes, it was ok, mostly.  I gave him $25, and out the door he went–rather smiley, I couldn’t help but notice.  I hovered in the shadows trying to get a few peeks at the driveway scene, moving from room to room until I’d found the best view. (Yes, pathetic.)

(And there she was.  Definitely a girl.  On our driveway.  With Peter, Jack and Reed.  And there they were, looking, for all the world, like four kind of normal, cute, socially functional, mixed gender teenagers.)

I watched them talk and laugh and put on bike helmets.   I couldn’t quite hear the conversation, but they didn’t seem to be saying anything about how I’d been had, or about what a pushover Peter’s mom was or anything.  And then off they went.

Not to make a big deal out of this, but, you know, wow.  Junior high has ushered in a whole nuther world.. and this felt like a real out with the old moment.