PATTYCAKES

For those of you that live in a household of boys, I know you will understand what I am talking about. Like, for example, today, I look over at my boys, playing video games, which I have allowed to be moved to the "main" TV for the duration of fall break. Because of this allowance, I now have no place in that room whatsoever. My book, which I was reading as I have no access to the television to mindlessly watch instead, was being used as a coaster. No doubt I will later find myself moving the empty glass, with dried on milk, into the dishwasher myself because it will have long been forgotten by the offender.

And so it goes when it is a break from school. My orderly house becomes teenage zone with the waving of the pantry doors opening and shutting a hundred times a night, after I am in bed, and get up wondering what the infernal slamming noise is that I keep hearing over and over again. They skip breakfast, eat a very late lunch, then they are never hungry for dinner and suddenly, starting about 10 PM, the pantry and refrigerator go on overtime.

Some day, I suppose, all this will end. No more breaks, real life will kick in. I will never have empty glasses and cups and bowls and plates scattered about the house, and I will miss it. That is what everyone keeps telling me. I have been skeptical about this phenomenon until recently.

Suddenly I find that the years of having my children at home over a break are few and I am beginning to realize that I WILL miss it. I hope the years in the future still allow the feeling of freedom to leave their cups on my books and fan the refrigerator like they are air conditioning the whole house with it and that, when the time comes, their children will come stay with Grandma and Grandpa and keep them up all night doing the very same thing!