You can't really go home
Going home for breaks and holidays is always an interesting experience. I'm never quite sure what to expect, since sometimes people are so busy that I just sort of wave at them as they race in and out of the house and I loaf around checking my email and almost missing having homework to do (almost). Other times everyone is almost as work-free as I am, and we pass the time doing everyday things that are somehow different because we no longer do them together very often.
I usually try to spend some time with Alex and Isaac because they're a lot harder to keep up with than Mom and Dad. They're much more reluctant to use the phone or write email, and their social status and activities change by the semester if not the week.
This past vacation I had to bite the bullet and accept another major change that's happened in the family structure: Alex is now old enough to drive with ease and a minimal level of terrorizing the family. I have a tendency to not imagine Alex and Isaac having grown up much since I moved, so it comes as a bit of a shock when the 8th grader I remember shrugs on his letter jacket and announces that he'll drive to lunch.
Mom and Dad were on a driving strike the day after Christmas, not wanting to brave the gift card crowds, but we wanted to spend ours. On the way to outdoor mall we decided we were hungry, and didn't want to wait to get home to eat. So a quick vote was taken, and we called home to announce that we had decided that we were going out to lunch and Mom and Dad were on their own. We imagined they might be a little surprised, but knew they would be well supplied with leftovers from Christmas dinner the evening before.
Sitting at Schlotzsky's we talked about the classes Alex and Isaac were taking, Isaac's band activity (he was quick to remind us that he and the band had gotten the longest paragraph in the family Christmas letter), and Alex's assorted clubs and activities. We formulated a plan for hitting all of the stores we wanted to shop at in the best order and debated the merits of ordering sandwiches with or without onions. When it came time to order our food, I announced that I'd pick up the tab. After all, that's what I'd do for any friend.
I usually try to spend some time with Alex and Isaac because they're a lot harder to keep up with than Mom and Dad. They're much more reluctant to use the phone or write email, and their social status and activities change by the semester if not the week.
This past vacation I had to bite the bullet and accept another major change that's happened in the family structure: Alex is now old enough to drive with ease and a minimal level of terrorizing the family. I have a tendency to not imagine Alex and Isaac having grown up much since I moved, so it comes as a bit of a shock when the 8th grader I remember shrugs on his letter jacket and announces that he'll drive to lunch.
Mom and Dad were on a driving strike the day after Christmas, not wanting to brave the gift card crowds, but we wanted to spend ours. On the way to outdoor mall we decided we were hungry, and didn't want to wait to get home to eat. So a quick vote was taken, and we called home to announce that we had decided that we were going out to lunch and Mom and Dad were on their own. We imagined they might be a little surprised, but knew they would be well supplied with leftovers from Christmas dinner the evening before.
Sitting at Schlotzsky's we talked about the classes Alex and Isaac were taking, Isaac's band activity (he was quick to remind us that he and the band had gotten the longest paragraph in the family Christmas letter), and Alex's assorted clubs and activities. We formulated a plan for hitting all of the stores we wanted to shop at in the best order and debated the merits of ordering sandwiches with or without onions. When it came time to order our food, I announced that I'd pick up the tab. After all, that's what I'd do for any friend.
Labels: life
posted by Liz at 1:34 PM
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