A Ten-Minute Record

It was bound to happen.  It’s just what comes after Christmas is unwrapped and a new calendar is hung on the wall-- a cute one, for sure.  School started today.  I decided to let someone else be the bad guy this year and let their first day back take place at Science Etc. instead of under our roof.  Brilliant, I know.  (It’s a shame I used my yearly stroke of genius so early in 2011.) I welcomed the smidgen of excitement lazily bouncing off our walls this morning-- all because of Nana’s Christmas gift of rolling back packs.  I think the thought of rolling them down the sidewalk to school is what actually caused them to put hesitant feet on the floor at 7am.

As always, B was the first one downstairs and as always, came straight to my bathroom with a mental list of questions and/or statements-he gets the two confused.  His first question, “Mom, can we pack some of these (shaking Christmas gift of peanut M&Ms over head) in our lunch for dessert?”  Happy with my answer, he passed Julia on his way out.  Julia speaks, “Mom, don’t pack me any M&M’s.  I am going to eat healthy this week.  It’s my resolution.”  Hmm... okay.  

When I found my 1st and 3rd grader on the floor in the mud space, they were relocating from one backpack to another-- no small task, I assure you. A U-Haul would’ve been helpful.  They discovered beloved objects from as far back as preschool in the recesses of their zipper compartments, slots, hidden pockets and the infamous BOTTOM of the pack.  Now, those things weren’t so beloved.  Once the move was made, the critical object, the lunch, the food, became their focus-- what was going in it, where would it fit and had I made it yet?

I eluded all their questions by heading back to bathroom to brush my teeth and Julia was on my heels.  Stopping just inside the door, she said, “Mom, I decided I did want candy in my lunch today.” 

 I think she set a record.  10 minutes top-- to break her New Year’s resolution.