“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” ~ John Wooden

Today was an ordinary sort of day . . .

Nothing mind-boggling to do. With one child having spent the night at a friends, another headed to an etiquette class at a local fine restaurant, that left me one child with whom I got to spend some time alone. With a full house, time alone with each child is treasured. As they age – school, sports, part-time jobs (theirs and mine), errands — the busyness of life seems to get in the way.

So the offspring chose the stops for the day:

A local car dealership to browse the used car offerings, not to mention she loves scanning the scantags to check the prices. While she found many she’d like to own, we laughed as she commented that she has a Chevy Spark budget but dreams of the Ford Mustang eventuality. We also laughed after we’d walked the entire car lot, new and used, with nary a salesman in sight until we were getting in our car to leave and suddenly a salesman appeared to ask if we needed anssistance. It only took him 45 minutes to approach us. As she relayed to me after we left, when she and her boyfriend were there while he was looking for a car, they were approached by a salesman in less than 5 minutes of pulling onto the lot. Mmmm hmmmm . . . and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.

Our next stop was a local bookseller. They carry not only new but used books, games, puzzles, toys, CDs, music albums, guitars, ukelele’s. It is a book and music lover’s paradise. She had come to me with a bobblehead from their very large stock. Yoda with the hind end of a frog hanging from it’s mouth — “Mom, can I pleeeeaaase get this!?! It matches my shirt!” *Sigh* Not today dear. Without a hint of bargaining, she simply turned and put it back on the shelf. As I had not yet figured out what to get her for her birthday (besides bringing her brother home from Missouri), I waited until she was at the back of the store and then purchased it. SNAP! The car is locked and she has the keys. My bag is in the car and I’m standing about holding only my phone. I’m also wearing a dress without pockets. What to do? What to do? As I was standing there, she called me to tag my location. As she approached the front of the store, I managed to keep it behind my back, rubbing my knuckles across my back and talking about the incoming rain and how my back was aching. Being the non-observant teen, she walked on to the car. After she unlocked it and was sliding into the driver’s seat, I put her gift on top of the car and reached for my bag, mentioning that I was going to put it in the backseat to get it out from under my feet. Now, standing beside the car and out of her sight, I quickly pushed Yoda into my bag and placed my bag in the backseat.

After giving her several options for lunch, she chose Applebee’s. We walked into the restaurant while I pondered how I was going to set Yoda on the table to surprise her. I asked if she needed to use the restroom before me. She didn’t have to go. *sigh* I seriously contemplated knocking my silverware onto the floor followed by a flurry of napkins to distract her, but the server appeared. Placing our order, I noted the sports photos on the wall behind the offspring and pointed to them, asking an inane and vague question about them. She turned to study the photos, and voila! When she turned back to the table, there sat Yoda the frog-eating bobblehead.

I’m so thankful that I have opportunities to spend time alone with the kids, just talking to them, hearing their thoughts and ideas. When they express their hopes for the future and their dreams of what they wish to accomplish, I am so very proud of them. Time . . . it’s a small thing but it carries big moments as it marches along.