Do you want room for cream?

The guys left this morning at 5:30 am to drive to Ohio. Within the past two hours, I have received three phone calls because the driver is bored and the navigator is asleep. Care to guess who is driving and who is sleeping?

I did a quick check of Buddy's room. Already, I see that he forgot his pillow. I have not gone into the bathroom yet, but I anticipate more items are sitting on the sink and waiting to be packed. There are times when I think that my kids feel that the money is picked on a tree out back. I remember when I would say to them that I do not have any money..."sure, mom, you do. Go to the atm machine...." They still don't understand the concept of money, how it is earned and how it gets into the atm machine. There is no magic here, just hard work.

Anyway, I will join the team on Saturday. Dad will come home on Sunday and I will be living with the big kid until we fix the apartment over the next two weeks. I had thoughts about getting a part time job (very part time...maybe 8 hours a week) at a local Starbucks as a barrista. I already applied online. Do you think that I would be hired? That could be my fun for the summer. There would be cool music in the background, air conditioning, and lots of caffeine. I would even meet some interesting people. Do you think that I would get any tips? Do you think that I could figure out how to make all of those drinks? That part worries me. I think that I could maintain the cash register and make change (with the help of my fingers...as Jethro Bodine from the Beverly Hillbillies used to say: "I kin 'cipher...."), but creating a latte is an art and science...could I do this? Would I tell my co workers, Kimmie and Petey that I have a doctorate and still cannot make a decent frappucino? Lots of unanswered questions, but very intriguing....it could be a sociological study....the people of Starbucks and their need for intravenous caffeine OR middle aged barristas and their support hose....It could be lots of fun OR the worst experience of my life....

So, I am getting the house ready for my departure. I have left dad and Tink instructions on what I do on a day to day basis....I only pray that the dog gets food and is walked and that my plants do not die....that's all...very simple...I don't require much...water and food for anything that is alive....

I am going to miss a big chunk of my summer, but we do this out of love and a commitment to help our kids achieve their goals and dreams. We create the opportunities, but it is their responsibility to make it happen....I open the door...they do the rest....parenting...it is simple and very complex. I wish that someone had developed a brochure. I could have used a map or navigation system....