Summer begins

OK, here we are. It is summer. That is, school is over (middle school is over forever more), May is almost over, and Rocket Boy has just left to drive back to St. Louis, where he will spend the month of June. Of course, summer doesn't officially begin for three more weeks, plus it's rather gloomy and rainy today, but nevertheless it's summer.

We did all make it to the twins' "Continuation Ceremony," though I was worried there for a while. We were past the quarantine period, so we just masked up -- as did many of the other parents and some of the students -- not our students, though -- and I sat through the hour-long ceremony thinking, "I'm spreading covid far and wide, far and wide, far and wide, I'm spreading covid far and wide, how many will I give it to today?" (to the tune of "Buffalo Gals").

It was just like every graduation ever -- some kids won awards and received huge cheers, while others (including ours) received only modest cheers. I was fascinated by the outfits. Some girls (including one who lives down the street) wore skintight satin gowns with high heels. Some kids wore wild color and pattern combinations. Some, like ours, wore their hoodies. Some of the boys were taller than the very tall principal. Some didn't appear to have grown yet at all. One of the counselors, who spoke before the certificates were awarded, mentioned that several members of this class went through gender changes during the past three years, and I was interested to note how many names called out were different from the names printed on the program.

After the ceremony there was a party for the graduates, and Rocket Boy and I went out to a nice late lunch at the Southside Walnut Cafe. A while after we got home came the first call, from Teen B: "Can you pick me up? I'm bored." So Rocket Boy drove over to the school to get him, even though it was early. While he was gone, another call came in, from Teen A: "Mom? Um, I got in trouble and I have to stay late and I missed the bus. Can you come get me in a little while?"

It turned out that Teen A and some friends had ditched school and gone to play "wall ball" at the tennis courts at the East Boulder Rec Center. A teacher assigned to look for wandering kids had found them there and marched them back to school. As punishment, they had to come back the next day "to help clean."

I was amused by this, but decided it was important, even though it was the last day of school, the last day of middle school ever, and next year they will be at an open campus and can come and go at will. For one last day the school was responsible for them, and I appreciated how careful the school was with my babies, especially given what happened to those 19 students in Uvalde two days before.

I had to bring Teen A back to the school at 9 am the next morning, and he spent an hour pulling weeds in the front of the school with the four other boys who were also being punished. Then he called to ask if we'd bring him his wallet (Rocket Boy did), and spent the next six hours or so hanging out with his friends, doing who knows what. It's OK -- it's summer vacation now.

***

Covid is almost over for us, at least technically. Today is the last day we're officially supposed to wear masks. Teen B stopped wearing his several days ago, and I'm not sure Teen A ever wore one. Rocket Boy wore one occasionally the last few days. I'm trying to wear one everywhere I go. But I can see that this is how covid is spreading. If vaccinated, tested, mask-believing liberals in liberal communities don't wear their masks when they're supposed to, well...

I think I'm the only one of us still having symptoms, which means it's probably a good thing I'm still wearing my mask. I've had a headache off and on the last couple of days, my nose is still running a little, and I feel tired, more tired than during the worst of the illness. I took the kids to see "The Bob's Burgers Movie" yesterday (with my mask on) and actually fell asleep during it (I'm not sure whether that was the movie's fault or mine). Then later, when Rocket Boy and Teen B were watching a Peter Sellers movie at home, I went in our room and lay down, slept just a little until I was awakened by an Amber Alert on my phone. On the plus side, however, my sense of taste and smell are returning (though not quite normal yet).

It's hard to tease apart how I'm feeling, though, because there are three things competing for my attention right now:

1. Covid
2. Rocket Boy leaving today and going back to St. Louis for a month
3. The massacre in Uvalde (and the one in Buffalo before it)
   

And when I say "competing for my attention," I mean they're all making me feel bad. I don't know which one has the upper hand. 

I've been really grouchy the last few days, almost bit Rocket Boy's head off a couple of times, and again, what's the cause: his imminent departure, the horror of Uvalde, or am I just not feeling well? Don't know.

Or all of the above, maybe it's that.

For a while we thought Teen B would go with Rocket Boy to St. Louis, to spend a couple of weeks as we'd planned last year. Teen B couldn't seem to make up his mind, went back and forth about it. Even yesterday, even at bedtime, he was still talking about it. I didn't really get involved except to answer his questions. I did all the laundry (I usually do it on Sunday), so he would have clean clothes if he decided to go. Finally this morning I asked him again if he wanted to go and he said, "Of course not." So Rocket Boy packed up and drove off on his own.

I had realized that I was going to miss Teen B a lot if he went with RB, but then I thought how much RB must miss us all when he's alone in St. Louis. So when RB drove off, I felt sad for me, because I hate having him go, and sad for him, because he was leaving alone. Oh, so much sadness when nothing's really wrong! But there's always that fear, that sense that we might not see each other again. Anything could happen. We're human, after all.

***

Well, he's gone, and so I'm going to try to make the best of it. I have some plans for June. It's the last month of the quarter and I've already read my Presidential biography for the quarter (Chester Arthur). So I thought I'd give myself a couple of special assignments to work on.

1. First, I'm going to try to finish my middle-grade mystery novel, which has started to hang over my head in an unpleasant way. It was supposed to be fun, not something to worry about. I think if I schedule an hour of work on it a day, I could get a draft finished by the end of the month -- especially if I get interested in it again and spend longer on it some of the days. (If this doesn't work and I don't manage to finish it, maybe that means it's no longer fun and I should set it aside and try something else.)
   
2. Second, I'm going to sign up with the Fly Lady and see if that helps me get the house cleaner. When Rocket Boy is here I'm always more aware of how messy the house is, and somehow this visit the house seemed even worse than usual (maybe because it is). He often does some cleaning while he's here, but getting covid meant that he didn't have the energy. The two of us worked together to keep the kitchen from falling apart -- and that was all we could do. So I thought it was time to give the Fly Lady a shot. I first heard about her more than 15 years ago. It seems like it's time. If I don't like her, I don't have to do it for more than a month, but I'm going to try to stick with it for one full month.
   

Other than that, I have some medical appointments coming up -- which I might have to reschedule, due to lingering covid. I just sent my doctor a message asking about that. We're all going to get our hair cut on June 11th, just made the appointments. And what else? I have a zoom call with friends on, I think, the 18th. An old friend is coming to town for a visit around the 23rd or 24th. I'd like to get the boys involved in something other than video games. Volunteer work? An exercise class? I don't know. They, on the other hand, would be happy to play video games -- and not do anything else -- All Summer Long. Who will win this battle? We shall see.