We're back! And we are not alone! Junior is home after that first year at college, and we all have some adjusting to do. He departed straight from the island to his in-state school last August. We assumed we would see him occasionally, as he was only about 45 minutes away, but you know what happens when one assumes. That first semester he graced us with his presence once, over Thanksgiving break. We have a sneaking suspicion they closed the dorms that weekend, and since we were the only game in town he stopped by. Saying he came home to see us, would be exaggerating that weekend. We were treated like timeshare pitchmen. He would stop in for the obligatory family meal on Thanksgiving, and then be free to come and go, mostly go, with friends, while having a nice clean bed, and fully stocked refrigerator at his disposal. Did I mention we were also his personal ATM?
Now he is home for the summer, and I have to say the bloom is fading off that rose. Apparently he is under the impression that we have converted our LBI home into a Motel 6, complete with maid service and an in house restaurant. We can track his movements through our house by the trail of empty water bottles, discarded socks, and empty food wrappers. Did I mention curfews? Apparently, unbeknown to us, he has out grown them.
Now I realize that he did not have to adhere to any of these silly rules while at college, but as most parents will tell you, ignorance is bliss. I am a strong believer in adhering to the local social mores and customs, when visiting a foreign country. I don't think it has dawned on him that he is no longer living in the land of the free (read dorms), and the home of the non-existent curfew. I suspect there was more than a few nights this past year, when he arrived home the same time dawn was breaking, and as hard as this is to believe, I was young once too. The problem is I cannot fall asleep till I hear that bike rolling over the stones in our front yard, and the subsequent mid-night (or later) raid on my refrigerator. Only then, am I free to roll over and drift off, knowing all my chicks are accounted for. Welcome to the Parent Hood!
To be fair, there were also some great things I have witnessed. I have seen some signs of maturity. He actually talks, and LISTENS to his younger siblings. He thanks me for making dinner. We can engage in conversation, and miracle of miracles, he has admitted, in front of witnesses, that maybe his parents were right about a few things! Be still my heart.
I can't say I wasn't warned about this phenomena, by friends and family. How you gonna keep them down on the farm, once they've seen and tasted freedom? So this summer will be a delicate dance, one in which I slowly retreat with trepidation, and he goes fearlessly forward into adulthood. Now if I can just manage to keep my fridge and pantry stocked, I'm sure we'll make it through.
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