TOWARDS ADULTHOOD
It was far too early for a Saturday. Too early to get out of bed and to make breakfast. Too early to get out the door to run the errands on our list. But it was necessary.
The younger two were fast asleep. Or so I thought as I went to awaken them. I found my son lying on the floor watching what I presume were TikTok videos as his phone was tethered to the power cord. My younger daughter was feigning sleep and I was guessing she was also on her phone. But protest they did as I had them get out of bed to leave the house.
I bribed them with Starbucks. All of a sudden, they seemed to have come alive to the morning. My son jumped up but his sister took a while longer to climb down from the top of the bunk bed. Eventually we made it out the door. Our first stop was the post office.
The wait at the post office took longer than yesterday’s visit. Both times the mission was to locate the missing mail from the past two weeks. But particularly a package of clothes for my daughter that was listed as having been delivered on the 16th. This past Monday. After a very long time of waiting, the post office clerk came back with nothing too promising. My mail was still missing but the package was out to be delivered. Supposedly today.
Our next stop was the Starbucks we had frequented many years ago when the children were younger. The times when that location had booths where we all sat and enjoyed our many treats. Today, the location looks more modern and open. Not as friendly and warm feeling as before.
The children did not want to sit outdoors, preferring instead to sit at the yellow oversized chairs as we waited for our order. We shared a cappuccino and I shared a lemon loaf and almond croissant with my daughter as my son savoured his chocolate croissant.
Instead of getting back in the car to drive across the street to the bank, we walked the short distance. This next errand was the reason for our getting out the door when we did. The next step towards adulthood for my two younger children. Though the wait for a banker was over half an hour, in addition to the time it took to open the accounts, it was worth it.
The bank calls it a ‘High School Checking’ account that children are eligible to get when they turn thirteen. It is really a debit card where I can deposit money each month instead of giving them cash for their allowance. Since they are minors, the card needs to be tied to my account, but it’s still a good step towards independence.
Afterwards, we walked back across the street and went in to Trader Joe’s to get a few items for our weekend. Tangerine juice and naan bread, as well as salmon and ground beef for the hamburgers we planned to grill. Also, some chocolate for the brownies I plan to make next week for my daughter’s banquet. As we walked back, we discussed the incident at the school last month with the bomber.
Though I was unable to find an update in the news, my daughter let me know that the kid is now in jail. The one who brought bombs to the high school. So, it was true. There really were bombs found inside and outside the school, specifically in the room where they kept the children. The absurdity being that instead of evacuating the school and letting the children walk or run across the street to the apartments or the church parking lot nearby, they allowed the children to stay inside the school.
As soon as we returned home, I made the children macaroni and cheese in addition to warming up naan bread to eat with avocado. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching the last few minutes of Level 16 on the Apple TV and then my son went for a ride on his bike whilst my daughter went to the hammocks. My son rode all the way to his father’s house where he ended up staying for barbequed ribs. I had fallen asleep on my son’s bed after we watched the movie and did not hear my daughter knocking loudly on the door. Apparently, I was so tired that I slept for almost two hours and heard nothing at all. I didn’t think my son would lock the door, but he was being careful. Luckily, it hadn’t been too long until I awoke and saw the messages from both children.
When my daughter returned, we decided to go get Chipotle for our dinner since her brother was already eating at their father’s house. We first stopped by at a scenic overlook to take a photo of the beautiful sunset before going to Target. Then we picked up my son on the way back from getting our dinner. Dessert was three different flavours of ice cream, stuffed into the small glass cups that resembled tea light candleholders. Then we watched Senior Year, but both children fell asleep rather quickly.
Though the events of the afternoon went unplanned and my daughter’s package was undelivered, it turned out to be a very nice Saturday. My son enjoyed having his sister over and I’m guessing she enjoyed being here as she decided to spend another night. She asked if I could make buttermilk pancakes for our special Sunday breakfast. Of course, I was delighted to hear that and look forward to another day with two of my children.
