‘Tis the season

‘TIS THE SEASON for primo parking at Metro lots on Fridays. Lots of folks work alternative schedules that are arranged to keep them from commuting on Friday (lucky dogs), but this time of year, even more people are off work, burning vacation days they might otherwise forfeit as the year rolls over. I have been a full-time working person with benefits for over 27 years and have never once been in a position where I had more vacation days to use than I knew what to do with. What is that like? I hope one day to know.

‘TIS THE SEASON for snow in the weather forecast. This means two things: One, I miss my Jeep. The Jetta is fun to drive, but I can’t lie, I miss 4WD. And Two, now begins the frantic search for mittens and gloves (pairs, that match), scarves, hats, and boots. Did I not put them all in the designated basket when winter ended? I was sure I did. Oh, and I need to find the ice scraper for the car, too. Ho ho ho.

‘TIS THE SEASON for college kids to be taking finals! I remember the feeling. Seth has all three of his next Monday; Ross has his spread out over the week next week. Related: it’s also time to return the textbook rentals. And to register for next semester.

‘TIS THE SEASON for my annual declaration, HOMEMADE GIFTS FOR EVERYONE!, which is followed shortly thereafter by my other annual declaration, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING. Here’s hoping they feel the love in each carefully mail-ordered gift that will be hastily stuffed into a gift bag on December 24.

‘TIS THE SEASON for hour-long hold times and newly-hired seasonal temps receiving a “baptism by fire” during my “where is the rest of my refund?” call, and a still-incorrect refund from Macy’s. It was obvious the guy was a rookie, which is fine, and I had time to hold, but I would also have expected his team lead, whom he kept telling me he was “partnering with”, to correct my refund. I returned 4 things and, so far, have been refunded for two of them. Alas.

‘TIS THE SEASON to deck the halls. This year, I’m decking mine with new traditions, as it’s my first Christmas in my new place. I got a new fake tree, and I like it. We hung those pine-scented sticks on it so the house smells like fake evergreen. Last night, the boys and I hung old ornaments on it. That was mostly OK, but frankly, it kind of made me melancholy. But, it felt like the right thing to do. I put candles in my windows, just like before, but am happy I don’t have to drape greenery on my split rail fences (one year I went full Martha Stewart and fashioned garlands and wreaths from real greens!) and have the annual disagreement over whether the lights on the house should be all white (my preference) or multi-colored (the kids’ preference).

‘TIS THE SEASON for busy-ness, but also for good cheer and hugs and smiles and for being thankful and grateful for so many things.

 

The Neighborhood

It’s 5:30 Friday evening. I got home a little early, changed clothes, and poured myself a glass of wine. The temperature outside has been in the 60s the past couple of days, so I turned off the air-conditioner and opened some windows.

I live in the top two floors of a row of two-over-two townhomes. All the units have garages which back to central parking, around a treed, grassy island.

From my open dining room window, I hear little kids ramming around with what sound like plastic wheeled toys. (Parents, you know that sound!) I hear a mom. From this distance, she sounds like the muffled mumbles of any adult in the classic Charlie brown cartoons. The children are shrieking with glee, yelling rules at each other for whatever game they are making up in the moment. As all good suburban cul-de-sac kids do, they occasionally bellow the warning, CAAAAARRRRRR!

These sounds transport me back almost 20 years, when I had two small kids. When the boys were very little, we lived in a townhouse community, smaller, but not unlike the one I’m living in now. Instead of out back, the parking and island were in the center, viewable from the fronts of the houses. If enough adults stood guard, the kids could ride their large plastic wheeled vehicles around the island.

It was in this way that we met most of our neighbors in the community where we first lived, and again when we moved to a more expansive suburb. Now, some evenings when I drive my car into the parking area, I see orange cones set up, and those signs that say “children at play”, and adults standing around, sharing a beverage, while they keep one eye on the posse of children. I remember the drill: one parent would take a turn, giving the other one a spell, and promise to run the children, hard, until they were tired. This was in an effort to ensure an early (or at least timely), drama-free bedtime. Our measure of success was the low bar of “safe and happy” on those nights and anything beyond that, with regard to the kids, was gravy.

I mostly feel happy that the days of large plastic wheel toys and shrieking children are behind me, but I would be lying if I didn’t add that the sounds I’m hearing now make me the tiniest bit wistful. My little boys were just so cute. And fun! Exhausting too. But remarkable. They were (and are still) a source of pride and joy.

There is a sense of community that parents of similarly aged children develop. I don’t have that connection with any of my current neighbors. Now, I am (probably?) that scary old lady who smiles a little too broadly, and is a little too forthcoming with the unsolicited advice.

When we were in the thick of it, I could barely imagine a day when I wouldn’t find Hot Wheels cars and LEGO blocks and empty chip bags and Capri Sun pouches all over my house. But now here I am, with a 7th grader who needs no toys, rides a “big boy” bike to school, and even puts most of his trash into the garbage cans in the house. His older brothers spend more time now at their dad’s house than at mine, but I see them regularly, and we have completely adult conversations. And occasionally drink a beer together! (What?!)

I remember as my kids were growing up, thinking how each stage is the best, as you get to it. All the stages are special for unique reasons, but the one I was in at the moment always seemed the best to me. Little kids, like the ones I hear shrieking right now, can be exhausting, but their smiles and joy are completely genuine. My favorite age range is still from 7 to 11, but I’m still really enjoying Eli even as an adolescent in middle school. (But I will readily accept your prayers for us both.)

Yes, my life has changed significantly over the past two decades, and I’ve been through many stages. But in this moment, I can say with certainty, as I look ahead to all that awaits, that this is, without a doubt, the best stage yet.

Going up

I USED TO PAY BETTER ATTENTION in elevators. I had to, because with clients in various office buildings around the city, paying attention in elevators was a critical job skill. I'd think to myself, it's Monday, so today you're down 19th from Dupont Circle and your client's on 6. Tomorrow is the alternate Tuesday, so you're west on M Street, 7th floor, and Wednesday it's the one on 17th Street with the grouchy security guard, top floor.

It was a point of pride that I almost never forgot which elevator button to push. I had my act together and was pretty proud of it.

Then last year, I retired my wheeled briefcase and started working in the same place every day. My new office building has touch pad elevator call buttons: You press your destination floor and the panel tells you which elevator will take you there. You don't press a button in the elevator because it already knows. This allows you to kind of zone out during the ride up.

Yesterday I took the day off so I could arrange some long-overdue medical appointments. And so I found myself in a different office building first thing in the morning. As I entered the elevator, another woman was already in there. The 8 button was lit. I pressed 5. The doors almost closed, then opened again, much to the relief of a harried-looking mother with three active kids, between the ages of 6 and 2. She herded her brood into the elevator and instructed her oldest daughter to press 11, which she did.

You know how kids love elevator buttons? Well of course the little guy wanted to press a button too, and he lunged for the bottom row, which included the ALARM button. Mom pulled him back just in time, then shooed her other son out of my personal space, scolding him, "You're being rude." I didn't mind, though. I was thinking about why this one mama had brought all three kids with her to a medical appointment, without a stroller. Had the nanny canceled? Perhaps her husband was out of town. 

The car stopped at 5; no one got out. I looked at the other woman, who had never looked up from her phone. Huh, I thought. She is so engrossed in her phone that she forgot to get off the elevator! Amused, I watched her to see how she would react when she realized she'd missed her stop. 

The doors closed and the car continued to 8. The lady with the phone got out. 

Aha, I thought. She realized she missed her stop and got off at 8 instead. But I was focused on those kids. I thought, if Mom needs help, I will come to her rescue. She sure is lucky she boarded an elevator with me, an experienced mother of three kids!

As the elevator continued up to 11, that's when I remembered that *I* was the one was supposed to get off at 5. I had become so distracted that I managed, in that short ride, to forget which floor I'd pressed. 

Mom was focused on executing her tenacious 1-on-3 defense, but I still wanted to avoid a potentially embarrassing exchange. So I followed her off the elevator, as if I'd meant to get off on the same floor. To pre-empt any questions, I gave her a meaningful look and a nod and said, "It gets better, I promise," and added with a knowing wink, sister to sister, "I understand. Hang in there!" She thanked me and wished me a nice day. 

I waited for the foursome to disappear around the corner before quietly pressing the call button and re-entering the elevator for the ride back down to the fifth floor.