Dear Kid,

When I got home last night, Booker was waiting to great me as if I’d been gone for a month rather than a few hours.

Booker: You’re home!

This is the picture I forgot to take of the Kid’s new room. Or it might be the picture I forgot to take of the new dorm.

Me: Of course I’m home.

Booker: Can I have dinner?

Me: I’m pretty sure you had dinner.

Booker: Can I have a snack?

Me: No, but we can cuddle if you’d like.

Booker: Cuddle, cuddle, cuddle!

I sat down on the floor and he climbed up into my lap.

Booker: Where is the Tall Kid?

Me: I took him back to school.

Booker: Silly Mommy. School comes in yellow buses. Can you scratch a little lower?

Me: How’s that?

Booker: mmmmmmmm

Me: I took him back to college—which is a kind of school. Would you like me to tell you about it?

Booker: Yes, please.

Me: We packed all the things that had been in the dining room for the last month, and

Booker: You sent him away because he left his things in the dining room?!!!!

Me: No, but it’s something to consider for the summer.

Booker: Keep scratching.

Me: Sorry. So we packed all his things up and drove him all the way from here (I scratch Booker’s shoulder) to there (I scratch his leg) and moved him into his new room.

Booker: Who locks his crate at night?

Me: Um, no one, but the door locks by itself. He has a key.

Booker: Can I have a key?

Me: No.

Me: They have bunk-beds in their new room.

Booker: What are bunk-beds?

Me: That’s where one bed is on top of the other.

Booker finds this a hilarious concept.

Booker: Do they each have a bin for their toys? Don’t stop scratching.

Me: Well, they each have a closet, two shelves, some drawers, and a desk.

Booker: That’s a lot of space; I only have a bin.

It’s amazing how one sentence can be absolutely correct and 100% wrong at the same time.

Me: And then I came home.

Booker: To me.

Me: To you. And Daddy and Pi.

Booker: Yes.

There is a pause. (Or possibly a paws.)

Booker: Mom?

Me: mmmm?

Booker: Where is the Tall Kid?

Enjoy your Day Before Classes Begin.

Love, Mom

Booker: Say “and Booker”

Love, Mom and Booker

Dear Kid,

Well, it’s cold. Seriously cold. But amazingly, I am tired of whining about the weather. (Either that or my brain has been frozen solid which is more likely.)

Hopefully, by the time we take you back to college this weekend the vortex will have moved on and winter will have returned to its usually scheduled program so we don’t get frostbite moving you into the dorm.

I’ve been thinking about taking you back to school. The good news is that it isn’t any harder than taking you the first time. The unfortunate news is that it isn’t any easier.

Partly we miss you when you’re not here. You’ve done an excellent job of holding down the couch (just in case gravity stops working). You’re fun to hang out with. And (as Auntie M has pointed out) you’re snuggalicious.

Partly we worry about you. Not a lot, but some. It’s our job after all. You know so much more than you did in August and yet there is still so much more for you to learn (both in and out of the classroom). It’s fabulous that you’re on your own and making good decisions. But we still worry a little.

Partly it’s tough to see you grow up. Once upon a time you were completely dependent on us. Even though that only lasted about 20 minutes, it’s difficult to see you moving into adulthood. It’s exactly what you’re supposed to be doing and exactly what we raised you to do—but that doesn’t make it easy.

Partly it’s exciting to see you trying new things and meeting new people. But it’s a little hard not hearing about it. It’s a little hard that you have lots of friends that we’ll probably never meet. It’s wonderful, but it’s hard.

We are so proud of you, Kid. But we miss you when you’re not here. Stay in touch, ok?

Love, Mom

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