The Boy

Riley went on his 5th grade trip. He made it without getting "punched" out. I'm surprised because this year the kid has had detention twice for too many punches on his card. He's a flake, that one, but he's a great kid. And I've been nervous the past few days he's been gone. And it's not even my week with him. I bet he had fun.

Riley is definitely my child. I love my girls to death, but Riley and I get along really well. Darby is not like me at all. She's more outgoing and is able to stand her ground. She's popular and very social and she talks to adults on their level. She's not afraid to say what she wants to say. This is the girl who went to the school office to inform them she needed to be in the afternoon kindergarten class, and they put her in the afternoon kindergarten class. She's every body's little girl. She's not a mama's girl. She loves me, and she loves that all the kids in her class told her I was pretty and she loves when we going shopping, but our relationship is definitely different than I have with Riley.

And Jillian, she's a baby so it's hard to know where this might lead, but for now she definitely is a mama's girl. She wants to me to hold her and love her and when she thinks her Daddy is being mean she wants me to save her. But, she's two, so we'll see what happens.

Riley on the other hand is mine. We have similar personalities, though he's funnier than I will ever be and he just likes me. He tells me about every thing. School, friends, girlfriends. When we're in the car for long periods of time he just talks and talks and talks about his life. He thinks I call him too much when he's at his dad's but any time he has news he calls me too. He's never excited that I go to his games necessarily, but if I miss a game he demands an explanation. Right now he listens to me.

I try and tell him every thing I can while he's still listening to me. Do well in school, be involved, don't worry too much about girls. Date girls, have girlfriends, but don't take it too seriously. Worry about what you want to do and want to be. Brian and I both wished our parents had told us not to be so involved in relationships. Riley always tells me he'll do all those things.

I would probably tell Darby the same things, but she is always telling me her plans. She's going to be a teacher or vet and she's going to college in Washington or Oregon. She's going to get really good grades so she can be in a special study dorm, because she doesn't want to be disturbed by people who party.

And yet for some reason I'm more afraid of the Darby teenager than I am of the Riley teenager. Hopefully I survive both.

Right now, I feel lucky we have this relationship, because some people don't have any kind of connection with their children. My friend at work has such a wonderful relationship with her kids who are now leaving home and that's what I want with my kids. I feel like it's going down that road and I don't want it take any detours I just want to keep it on the right path. I think as long as parents are there for their children and try to understand their children and make them feel like they are important there will be a special bond. I hope that's true.

And the reason I'm going on and on about this and Riley is because on Monday when he comes home, I'm going to have to tell him that I missed the deadline for Optimist Football. And he's going to be mad. Really mad. I don't think he holds a grudge, but in this case he might make an exception. So I hope I can make it up to him. Because I don't want to give up our talks. I have my fingers crossed.