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August 12, 2008
The road runs both ways
I just got off the phone with my daughter. This week, she is 694.51 miles away. Not that I'm counting or anything. *sigh*
When her best friend's mother asked if they could take her with them to VT to visit family (did that make ANY sense at all??), I really didn't think my girl would want to leave me. We have always been very close, from the time she was a newborn who balled herself up screaming whenever she wasn't in my arms (or, let's face it, on my boob) to now, as a teen who still calls me mommy and likes to cuddle in bed with me when she can't sleep.
Not that she has had a choice. On the way to the hospital, her father told me that he would never be able to change her diaper or give her a bath because of his religion. I was all "The HELL you say?" and he was all "oh, did I forget to tell you?" and I was all "Ummm, YEAH, dipshit."
(ok, that last part was in my head and a lot more vulgar. I just sat there and cried, pressing my forehead to the window as the next contraction came and I realized just how screwed she was going to be to only have me as her parent. I had no idea it was going to be for real forever.)
If I go to the store and get stuck in traffic or in a long line in a store and am not home when I estimated that I would, I get a frantic call asking why I'm late. God forbid I go away for a couple of days, to a conference or a visit to VA, she is always almost frantic by the time I get home.
Now, I have to point out that when the going away is HER idea, she seems much better off with it. She can go overnight to a friends house and totally forget to call me for a day, or even a weekend. But a week. No, make that ELEVEN days PLUS a trip on a train PLUS to a totally different state WITHOUT ME!!
Ouch. Did you hear that? It was my ice cold bitchy heart shattering into a kabillion pieces.
I got the kids phones over the summer so that we can stay in touch. I asked her to promise to call me every day while she was gone, thinking it would make her feel better to have to make an excuse to call her crazy mom than admitting that she was homesick. She promised she would and I am happy to say she has kept her promise. Every day, like clockwork, she has called from Madison Square Garden, from JC Penney, from the outlet stores, on her way to the Tri-State Fair. Hmm, come to think of it, it did sound like she has been in heaven, shopping and giggling and eating junk food but, you know, maybe that was just her being brave in front of her friend.
Todays call just about did me in, though. They were out shopping *AGAIN?!* and she asked me if it would be ok if she bought a few things for school and I can pay her friend's mom back when they got home. OH, and to let me know they are going camping and that she can't call me until *eep* MONDAY.
I get the feeling this is a new chapter. And here I thought it was she that was so attached to me.
When her best friend's mother asked if they could take her with them to VT to visit family (did that make ANY sense at all??), I really didn't think my girl would want to leave me. We have always been very close, from the time she was a newborn who balled herself up screaming whenever she wasn't in my arms (or, let's face it, on my boob) to now, as a teen who still calls me mommy and likes to cuddle in bed with me when she can't sleep.
Not that she has had a choice. On the way to the hospital, her father told me that he would never be able to change her diaper or give her a bath because of his religion. I was all "The HELL you say?" and he was all "oh, did I forget to tell you?" and I was all "Ummm, YEAH, dipshit."
(ok, that last part was in my head and a lot more vulgar. I just sat there and cried, pressing my forehead to the window as the next contraction came and I realized just how screwed she was going to be to only have me as her parent. I had no idea it was going to be for real forever.)
If I go to the store and get stuck in traffic or in a long line in a store and am not home when I estimated that I would, I get a frantic call asking why I'm late. God forbid I go away for a couple of days, to a conference or a visit to VA, she is always almost frantic by the time I get home.
Now, I have to point out that when the going away is HER idea, she seems much better off with it. She can go overnight to a friends house and totally forget to call me for a day, or even a weekend. But a week. No, make that ELEVEN days PLUS a trip on a train PLUS to a totally different state WITHOUT ME!!
Ouch. Did you hear that? It was my ice cold bitchy heart shattering into a kabillion pieces.
I got the kids phones over the summer so that we can stay in touch. I asked her to promise to call me every day while she was gone, thinking it would make her feel better to have to make an excuse to call her crazy mom than admitting that she was homesick. She promised she would and I am happy to say she has kept her promise. Every day, like clockwork, she has called from Madison Square Garden, from JC Penney, from the outlet stores, on her way to the Tri-State Fair. Hmm, come to think of it, it did sound like she has been in heaven, shopping and giggling and eating junk food but, you know, maybe that was just her being brave in front of her friend.
Todays call just about did me in, though. They were out shopping *AGAIN?!* and she asked me if it would be ok if she bought a few things for school and I can pay her friend's mom back when they got home. OH, and to let me know they are going camping and that she can't call me until *eep* MONDAY.
I get the feeling this is a new chapter. And here I thought it was she that was so attached to me.
