adjustment (lyn)

Alexander jokingly (I think; I hope) tells me he prefers being at school to being at home.  “I can get up whenever I want.  No one tells me to make my bed.  And if I want to play music loud, I can.” 

I sit in the living room quietly reading while Alexander watches TV.  I’m thinking this is nice.  “How long are you going to be in here?”   “I don’t know, I really hadn’t planned on leaving?”  “Can’t you read in your room?  Your being here is distracting.”  He laughs as he says this, but I think he’d prefer to have the living room to himself.

“You don’t have anything good to eat in the house.  I don’t want soup and salad.  I need a lot of protein.  I am trying to bulk up.”  He’s right.  Our cabinets and refrigerator reflect my interest in healthy low-calorie foods.  Alexander wants healthy high-calorie foods.  Our house has few of these.

I have screeners for almost all the big movies currently out or about to be out.  “I’m going to the movies with Peter and Ethan,” Alexander tells me tonight.  “But I have a million good movies here; why don’t you invite some friends over and watch them at our house?”  “Nah, we want to go out.” 

Alexander will be home for a month.  He suggests the following exercise.  “Let’s try imitating each other for a day.”  He knows exactly what to say and do.  He’d go around the house grumbling and criticizing and issuing commands randomly and ceaselessly.

“Take the garbage downstairs.” 

“Don’t leave empty glasses in the living room.” 

“Don’t leave your laptop on the sofa plugged in when you go to sleep.” 

“I don’t want you sleeping until noon.”  
"Please put the DVD's away after you've watched them."

“What time are you coming home?  Call me if you’ll be late.” 

“You’re having pizza at one a.m.?  But you just had Chinese food for dinner; how can you be hungry again so soon?” 

Ya know, I hate to say it, but maybe he’s right.  I should take a deep breath and chill.  After all, a few dirty glasses, some clothes lying around, and an unmade bed are a small price for the joy of having my son at home.  Really.