Little Chirp’s day began with him waking up to head back to school after the winter break. As soon as he got out of the shower, I heard him through my bedroom door, “Mom, are you awake?” Of course, I was awake. Before, I could say anything, he went on, “I just realized that my backpack is at Dad’s house.”
He remedied the situation on his own by letting his dad know and then packing a second backpack with the supplies he needed. He then drew the conclusion that he could get through the day without the stuff in his actual backpack, so he texted Dad again to let him know.
We met up in the kitchen, and I told him that one of my New Year’s resolutions is to make his lunch and breakfast every day, but that would need to start tomorrow. I could not find the can of soup that was supposed to go in his lunch, and he had eaten all of the leftover stew as a snack one night. He explained the can of soup also met its end as a snack one night. I want to go on record that I feed this child a multi-course dinner full of proteins and vegetables every day. I suppose there are worse things that he could be snacking on.
His only option for breakfast was eggs, and he didn’t really want eggs. I asked if he would like to pick something up on the way to school and he liked the idea. We are then headed out the door when he says, “Wait! Where is my wallet?”
I wanted to say, “In the pocket of your backpack?” I did not think he would appreciate my sarcasm that early the morning. We looked all through his clothes, which we found strewn around the bathroom and his bedroom floor. I checked his nightstand and the desk in his study. I found lots of Christmas candy wrappers and cans of sparkling water, no wallet. I am happy that he enjoyed his Christmas candy, but we have a no candy outside of the kitchen rule.
By the time we gave up the search for the wallet, we were running late for school. We wound up heading to school without picking up breakfast. We drew the conclusion that the wallet was left at Olive Garden, where he dined with his brother the day before. The two both had gift cards to Olive Garden. With the lunch specials, one gift card was enough, so Little Chirp treated his brother.
With Little Chirp off to school, Brainy Bird took on the task of the wallet search. He went back to Olive Garden and to the place that we had dinner the night before in search of the wallet, no luck. I presumed the wallet to be lost.
Brainy Bird picked Little Chirp up after his basketball practice, and he brought him back to the house to get his dress clothes for tomorrow. The basketball team’s dress code on game days is dress shoes, pants, shirt and tie. Between you and me, Little Chirp likes dressing up. He looks sharp in his brother’s hand me downs. I was in my room when I heard Little Chirp through the door, “I found my wallet!”
The answer to the obvious question is that the wallet was on the couch. I guess he sat down on the couch at some point after Olive Garden to pet the fur kids that spend most of the afternoon on the couch and he put his wallet there. As he walked out of the backdoor with his backpack and athletic bags over one shoulder and his dress clothes on hangers alongside the other shoulder, I wondered if he had everything. It is not my parenting style to stop him to take an inventory, and it definitely would not jive with him if I were to try.
I laughed to myself, I guess if he forgot his size 13 dress shoes his dad wears the same size. He will have some to borrow, they will just look like they belong on an old man with zero sense of style.
Oh, Little Chirp, welcome to the transition from childhood to adulthood – the challenges of keeping up with everything, the “grownup” activities like eating out and paying from your own wallet, dressing up in a shirt and tie, and so much more. I love being on this journey of life with you.