In a few days, this vase and its contents will sit on the reception desk of the hair salon Chloe, my mom and I patronize. They have offered to serve as an “authorized dealer” for Chloe’s duct tape pens, so Chloe spent a good portion of the last few days putting the finishing touches on her flowers and the sign announcing “Chloe’s Crafty Creations,” a name that may soon need to be trademarked by the IP lawyers at my firm.
I have a feeling that these pens will be gone quickly. In which case she may need to seriously consider hiring a couple of friends to help her make the merchandise. After all, she will have a college education to fund in the not-too-distant future!
I was a teenager the last time I went to Great Adventure, an amusement park not too far from where I grew up. Now, some 25 years later I will be returning to the land of Rolling Thunder with two tweens, Chloe and her friend.
Chloe and I are watching “The Social Network.” And I can’t help but think that all it takes is one good idea, single-minded focus and an enormous amount of hubris to create something great.
I wonder if I’m too old to have that one good idea. That may be the case. However, Chloe has lots of good ideas. And she’s already started to make money off of those ideas (cue those duct tape pen toppers, wallets and coupon holders). I certainly wouldn’t want her to be inspired by the behavior of the fictionalized Mark Zuckerberg in the film, but hell, if she’s inspired by the ideas and the creation and the success, then I’ll live vicariously through her.
Maybe I’m not too old to have that one great idea. I do have a couple of germs growing, I just need to nurture them. And I need the time to nurture them. One day…one day…
This is how I’ve been functioning over the last several months. I live for the weekends. I know – everyone lives for the weekends. But lately, when Monday morning arrives I think about the number of hours until Monday evening. When Tuesday arrives, I do the same. When Wednesday comes I start thinking – ok, only a couple of more days to go until I can wind down and relax.
I arrived in Ithaca last evening, after a drive that, but for the horrible car crash on Route 81 near Scranton, would have been uneventful. Chloe was very excited to see me. She would never admit it, of course, except grudgingly, but the smile on her face when she ran, literally ran, out of my aunt and uncle’s front door, said it all.
Sophie doesn’t want to read. She wants to learn to read. That’s a fine distinction. Don’t know if she’ll ever be as voracious a reader as Chloe, but at least she wants to LEARN.
In yesterday’s post, I fretted over the stupid things the girls might do as teenagers, just a few too short years away (at least in Chloe’s case). But I received a photo of Chloe today that assuaged my fears and made me think that maybe sleep won’t completely elude me over the next couple of years.
We had a work outing this evening, and my young co-workers started to list all of the crazy things they did in high school and college (which wasn’t so long ago for them). Which got me thinking. About all the things I’m going to worry about as Chloe and Sophie hit the terrible teens. I don’t think I’m going to get a good night’s sleep for the next 15 years. Here’s a preliminary list of the top two:
These photos really don’t really require any commentary. The smiles speak for themselves. When I think about the number of times I’ve seen Sophie’s and Chloe’s grins this summer, I realize how lucky we are. All of us. To have each other, to have such a great family, to have such great friends…
I think Sophie really wants a dog. She has had Temba, her dog cousin, at her side since arriving in Ithaca. Her constant companion. Her best bud. And Temba looks mighty content getting so much attention from his new friend.
Chloe also wants a dog. But I don’t think Chloe has been able to get any practice time in with little Temba – Sophie doesn’t seem to want to share. Who could blame her? That’s one cute dog.
A Mom's Ramblings About the Marvels & Mishaps of Parenting, the Joys of Family Travel & the Writing Life
