Just one week ago we headed back to school. Second grade and fourth grade. Summer somehow flew by in a blur of sun scream and goalie camp.
Two weekends ago the boys and I embarked on a Saturday morning back-to-school shopping spree. Growing up, this was always a much anticipated errand. A right of passage really. I remember my mom telling me I had $100 to spend. Which, for the record, early on went pretty far at Mervyn’s. Less so when I graduated to my ankle zip Guess jeans. I’m confident that on my first day of fourth grade I wore said jeans with a new black sweater with a rainbow of geometric shapes. I was like, so cute. I even wore matching red hoop earrings I found in my mom’s junk jewelry box. My very first dangly earrings. I braided my hair the night before and then unbraided it to get that “just crimped” look— a key hack given my lack of heated styling tools.
So I take the boys out and we find the best selection of day-glo athleisure choices at Dick’s Sporting Goods. We grab all the XS and S choices we can find and head into a spacious dressing room. It’s technically a women’s dressing room but I fast talk the literate boys in and commence some clear life training I wasn’t expecting…
It’s like these people have never been clothes shopping before. Nate doesn’t seem entirely familiar with the requirement to keep your underpants on when trying on clothes. They’re completely smitten with their own reflections in the full length mirror. It’s a chones dance party that successfully results in a handful of new brightly colored fashion statements.
On the night before the first day of school, as we’re driving home I ask Jake and Nate if they’re going to lay out their outfits for the next day.
Nate asks, bewildered, “Why?”
“You know, because you want to look your best for the first day of school! You should pick your most favorite new outfit and lay it out on your bed.
Nate responds, “Hmmm.”
“No one has seen you all summer! It’s your opportunity to come back and have everyone notice how great you look, right?”
Silence…
“This is really not something you’ve considered, huh?”
“No.”
Boys…