Runaways

The boys have become increasingly independent over the last year, more so over the summer. It seemed the more time they spent at home with me or their father the more they yearned to go sleepover at a grandparents. We’ve been so busy the last few months that it was always faster to take the kids with us out shopping and out for errands. Eventually they started this barter system with us. Where one would say they would like to stay home instead of tag along. So one parent would stay home to give the road runners a break. There were times though that both of us would have to go so the boys had no choice but to come with. Big Brother was the one whose lip dragged on the ground. He’s the homebody who is rubbing off on his brother. What we’ve started to hear from Little Brother on a daily basis is “I wanna sleep at tota girls” or “I wanna go gammas”. It always seems to be on a school night too, so we have to tell him they have work, you can’t. Then the tears start along with his porch sized lip. Like I don’t feel bad enough that his one goal is to ditch me and go to grandma’s or tota’s.

Picking them up is worse. When we walk in the door we hear a simultaneous “Uhhh why you here” from both the boys. And of course there are the times that Little Brother will go so far as handing me my phone late at night and crying. Two nights ago, tota girl came over to our house to watch the boys while their dad and I went to a haunted house. They were so happy that were ready to push us out of the house to hurry our departure along. When she left to go home Little Brother was so sad, saying he missed her and started the “I wanna sleep there” broken recording on repeat. Last night when I was leaving work, the boys got invited to go sleep over at my mom’s on a school night. They were so excited. It’s been a long time because of their school schedule and her work schedule. It was a welcome surprise, even though we didn’t know what to do with ourselves at first. By six thirty we figured we better go out to dinner. Just not having the boys home at supper time, we had no motivation to cook. When we returned home the house was way too quiet. I almost fell asleep on the couch from sitting in place longer than a minute undisturbed. In the morning I was even more lost not having my two tails to get ready for school. I didn’t get out of bed until seven, which is an hour later than I usually get going. I felt a twinge of panic like I was going to be late for work. I had to remind myself that I didn’t have to rush, it was just me to get out of the house before seven thirty. I’ll be honest the first half of my morning was nice and relaxing since it was so quiet. The last ten minutes when I drove to Hogan alone in the car was lonely. The chatterboxes weren’t with me and I had no narrating navigator. Hopefully now the boys will enjoy the weekend with me and not be determined little runaways.