Yesterday we took Sunshine, Dash, Boom-Boom, Roo and Teacup to town. Dash had an eye appointment and it's one of those things that they are watching right now to see if he has an issue with his ocular tissue.
Of course I went to change my major and the English department secretary just started her vacation and is out of town and profs who I've known for years were dumbfounded on what to do. My timing is impeccable. My fave lit prof was still there. After 15 years, re recognized me and stopped in his tracks, "Why, it's Miss [my maiden name]!" I screamed my joy at seeing him, but while he is still dressing like a cross between a Mafia don and an English gentleman (complimentary on either account!) and hasn't changed, he was laughing because my daughters who used to go to the child care on campus and who used to go to lunch time department meetings because I wanted them to love school like I did, were the same ages as the children who were with me when I went in! He said, "You haven't changed and your children haven't grown up!" My eldest now has a class with him. Has it been that long? He kissed my cheek and welcomed me back. I will never wash that cheek again!
Dh and the kids and I went to the museum and out to lunch. I had a conversation with Sunshine and Dash-- she and Dash decided to start requesting things of the food servers, calling them "Ma'am" and smiling and being proud of themselves and causing me to remember why when I have money that I don't like to take them out. They want to run the show.
I saw friend from a private school that I went to years ago. The man deals in hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just got out of federal prison and is working a silly job to keep his probation officers happy. Everything was about, "So I spent $75,000 on a new BMW. . ." or whatever. I asked my husband if he thought this guy was rubbing my nose in the fact that we never got together and he said not at all. It had run through his mind but he has another friend who is like that and he said that it's his life. He has been through hell in the past couple of years and I never cared one way or the other about money. I liked it and was raised in it, but my parents used it to control their environment and while I do not advocate being broke and in debt by any means, I am terrified of it. So my husband said that when he speaks of it, he knows I can relate and he is also establishing himself as the alpha male, on top of his game. I am a good listener and he said, "B. needs that in his life. You don't know his friends. He may keep you separate from them. You appreciate what he does because you understand it, but you are not scheming to join him." He is right. I would love to have the money, but it would mean having more money to spend on things that take us away from the kids. With my kids, if they get bored, they don't have Ipods-- they build forts. We don't watch TV all the time-- I read classic books to them. It's not better but for now it's a way of life that I am happy that we have and I would change somethings if I could but don't know if I could keep from changing other things. His kids are in a boarding school in Europe. That would kill me.
My husband said that he thinks he will call me again as we talked for a long time and he was happy to see me as I was happy to see him. The funny thing is, he appreciates my children and family. He wouldn't want to be in my position financially, but he said that I am a wonderful mother. He knew my parents and didn't like them and told me in junior high that they had mental blinders on me. I didn't understand it then but I do now.
It was fun to get out with my husband and a few of the kids. We needed a day like that.
It was fun to have no schedule and bum around the museum, looking at huge works of art and explaining to the kids what they represented, and after a few, Sunshine and Dash were figuring it out and telling us what they understood.
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