2001-08-28-8:38 a.m.

There are some things that you give up when you homeschool your children. Like I always wanted to have milk and cookies ready when they came home from school just like Timmy's mom did in Lassie. And I wanted to have that little moment of hey, I missed you, what did you do today?

So when I sent Megan off to eighth grade and now Abby off to college, I thought I would get to do those things or at least something like that.

Wrong.

The first day of school all I had to drive was the red Ford pickup. Now the red Ford pickup is cool, I think. It's a real truck, something you could use to take hay out to the cattle, you know? It's got a sticker on the back that says "ProRodeo." The radio doesn't work unless you hit the dashboard in just the right spot and you can't get out on the passenger side cause the door doesn't work right. A real truck.

I drive up to the school and Megan finally sees us and gets in. She is mad, real, real mad. I think: I knew she wouldn't be happy, but this is serious. It must be something more than the fact that I picked her up in a real truck.

She chews me out good. And it's all because of the truck - nothing else. I thought maybe I had worn the wrong clothes or something. I've done that before and I know that's real bad. But that's not it, it's just the truck, the stupid, ugly truck and I know we won't be having that "get reacquainted" talk I was hoping for. And by golly she won't get any milk and cookies, either.

Abby's first day wasn't much different. I planned and plotted to make sure I'd be able to leave in time to go get her from her last class without making her wait, and I was almost there when she called me on Andrew's cell phone to tell me he'd be bringing her home.

Oh, I think. Rats. And I'm not even driving the truck. I go get groceries and come home glad that I have another chance for a get re-acquainted talk and as soon as I come in the door it's "How am I supposed to do my other schoolwork on the computer when I can't get on because of this screensaver password?"

"Sorry. How was college?"

"Fine."

I knew she was going to say that.

previous-next