Friday, August 7, 2009

And at midnight tonight, I turn back into a housewife and mom

For tomorrow morning we go up to Massachusetts to retrieve our daughter from her three-week sleepaway program.

So long spontaneous evenings out, eating Ben & Jerry's S'mores ice cream and Cape Cod potato chips for dinner, drinking beer before seven o'clock, watching what we wanted to watch on TV, and lounging in bed in the morning. Sigh. Well, it was fun while it lasted. But already I can hear the clock chiming out midnight. (I just hope my Mini Cooper doesn't turn into a pumpkin, though the cats would be most happy to see some mice.)

Last night I cooked dinner (a delicious roast chicken with carrots, onions, garlic and rice) for the first time in nearly three weeks. And tomorrow I will be doing several loads of laundry... and mopping the floors... and scrubbing the toilets... and cleaning the ashes out of the fireplace... while Prince Charming is preparing one of our daughter's favorite meals (duck with cherry sauce and haricot verts) to welcome her home.

Don't get me wrong, I have missed our daughter terribly and look forward to seeing her smiling face and feeling her arms around me again, but it means that summer is nearly at an end, and that makes me sad. But tonight the spouse and I will drink a toast to summer, go see a movie, and feel grateful for all the good times we have had and those yet to come.

4 comments:

larissa said...

So much for freedom
It never lasts long enough
Morning alarm bells

Anonymous said...

But you can't live on chips and beer! But you can live of the love of a child!!!
(you are suppose to be saying 'Aaaaaaahhhhh' right about now)

(Please don't get sick...please)

Another David S. said...

Duck with cherry sauce and haricot verts? That's really her favorite meal? What happened to good ol' burgers and fries? Or pot pie? Or spaghetti? What the heck is a haricot? Or a vert, for that matter? Clearly I'm a barbarian. Either that, or you're raising aristocracy. ;-)

J. said...

Thanks for the haiku, Larissa. Freedom officially ended at 9:50 a.m. ET. : ( Though I was very happy to see her again. (Her laundry and detritus, not so much.)

As for you, Anonymous, BARF. ;-) Also do not underestimate the power and nutritional value of beer and chips. (And don't forget ice cream!)

As for Another David S., chalk it up to too much Food Network and Food Network magazine. Btw, "haricots verts" are French green beans -- they're skinnier and crunchier than the regular kind, though I think the spouse went with broccolini instead (which is a kind of broccoli). If you had cable you would know these things. ; O