Mark

January 2009 at the Canadian border.  We went to the Vancouver Olympics.  

 

What would this post be without a gratuitous picture of Mark's little boy cuteness?

It would be nothing.

Last night Mark and I had a date to look at the new student orientation stuff from USU.  I want to be involved for my own peace of mind mostly.  I know nothing about that place.  When I got home from school, we visited a little. I caught him up on all the texts I'd sent Fam-a-lam that he hadn't read.  He wondered if he should go on his bike ride earlier or later.

He went on his bike ride and I sent a few emails and ordered Adam's birthday present.  Mark came home and we made pancakes and Adam came home briefly and then went to a church meeting.  

Mark and I went through a bit of the orientation materials.  I said, "I need to go to Walmart, you want to come?"

And he said yes.

Nothing makes you realize that your teenagers are grown ups like when they are willing to go on an errand with you.

We chatted the whole way.  I told him five things we needed to remember to pick up at the store.  (On the list were Skittles because my Skittle machine is running low and I don't want to know how those children would turn on me if I cut them off.)

Also on the list was makeup and I looked at the possibilities with the same stupefied expression I always get before I gave up.  Mark put an arm consolingly around me and said, "Just have Emma get it for you."

We talked about the stimulus package and a podcast he listened to and the new custodian who vacuumed exactly 1/4 of my classroom today and the police/SWAT team/ shooting situation that was alarmingly close to our house last night.  Mental illness + guns are not a winning combination.

We talked about his diabetic supplies and we talked about college and spring break and I told him I wondered if my grandpa, who had gone to USU, was looking down fondly from heaven at him.

He said if he was looking down on anything, it was probably drive in movies.

When we got home, Mark carried everything in and put it away and started the dishwasher (because he'd forgotten to earlier).  Then he said he wanted to go hang out with his friends.  

I said, "Be home by 10:00?"  School night and all.

He said, "Yeah, I'll text Dad."

Which is code for:  it will be later than 10:00.  Adam is the one to text if you want to stay out late and I'm the one to text if you want to skip school.  It took Mark 30 seconds to figure that out.

So he went off to Joey's and I felt like something had been restored in my life.  Just an evening with Mark.  It's all I need sometimes.