Homo Studentus Highschoolitatus

I’ve discovered a new species! This species evolved from what used to be my darling daughter. The creature is one who recently has been legally granted permission to operate a motor vehicle, has a weird predilection to consuming all things unhealthy including gasoline and has no concept of basic neatness. I know one of these inhabits our domicile because evidence is everywhere. I find Reeses wrappers, Dunkin Donut napkins and McDonald’s paper bags strewn about my car and the needle on the gas gauge is always pointing to ‘E’! The creature also must be thinking on a more elevated plane and can’t be slowed down with the mundane like understanding that the house and car are not extensions of its school locker. Dirty socks, jeans, sweatshirts, tattered notebooks, crumbled papers and chewed pens are now commonplace in my once tidy vehicle and home. Threatening to hide the keys to both seems to illicit a primordial response of eyes rolling back in its head, an ugly scowl and frantic finger movements while holding a cellular device. Oh where, oh where has my sweet baby gone?!

End of Summer Celebration

End of summer was celebrated by going to Lull Farm's Peach Festival in Milford. Thd kids enjoyed a jumpy house (won't be able to shake this one from birthday party requests now!), lots of yummy peachy treats, and music from their favorite - Amy Conley of Music Together in Milford!

The Return to College

At the beginning of the summer, I was so happy to have Homo studentus universitatus (HSU) back in the nest (minus the mess) and all three of my kids around. At the same time, I was already thinking about having to send HSU back to the place where the species thrives and I was dreading that another one of my offspring would morph into this creature. Don’t get me wrong, the rewards of having the species around are substantial… happy noises in a quiet house, my credit card feeling so fully and vibrantly alive, an accumulation of funny creature photos on my digital camera, a window into a complex society of social primates. Alas, the Homo studentus summer season is brief. No matter how much they have enjoyed the family nest, mom’s cooking and use of their own bathrooms, they will return to college and bide their time until their winter migration back. I, for one, look forward to their return!

HSU returns home from college...

The Homo studentus universitatus (HSU) has acclimated to its summer surroundings. The appearance of a large pile of dirty laundry in the corner of its dwelling is present. Plastic bins from its college habitat are still strewn about its territory and all flat surfaces are covered with its belongings. The bed covers are never on the bed so I’m not really sure where it has been sleeping but there are signs of slumber on various couches. When I wake up in the morning, I find evidence of what it ate during the night all over the counters in the kitchen (and on the floor).

Communication is limited with its parental units except when it is asking for the car or “What’s for dinner”. I’m assuming this is because its highly evolved brain can’t be weighed down with mundane questions like “How come you can’t hang up your clothes?” When I ask this, HSU just seems to shrug, like it has a weird itch on its back. No, I guess that brain is for churning out high GPA’s in the quest of getting into graduate school or landing a high paying job where you don’t have to work much.

Museum of Science with Diane and her kids!

Summer is such a great time to get out and explore new things! There happened to be a whale exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston, so I took the kids. You can tell, the kids were caught at a dull moment in the photo! I can assure you that they ran around the exhibit having a great time! They crawled in and out of a model whale heart (an adult and 3 other kids were in there together), and listened to eerie whale songs. Such a cool place!

Deb's take on Modern Art

So I traveled to Washington, DC once again but this time to attend my 25^th dental school reunion. While I was there I went to the Hirshhorn (contemporary art) Museum. Now I’m not a big fan of contemporary art but I like to go and chuckle at what critics call “Brilliant!” Picture this…as part of the exhibit, a film clip was playing of naked women painting the front of their bodies with blue paint and then pressing themselves against a canvas making body prints. The artist (Yves Klein, French), wanted these “living brushes” to record the body’s cosmic energy. Needless to say, I had to pull my husband away from this exhibit! The poor artist died at 34yo of a heart attack…I wonder if it was due to the same heart palpations my husband was feeling while in the museum!

Dance Recitals and Summer Picnics

Summer's officially here with school out for most kiddos, including my 3 year old who celebrated her last day in Country Village Montessori School with a school-wide/family picnic. Pigtails commemorated the day (act of Congress - read on) and my son also had a great time roaming the playyard! Another clue that summer abounds - it's dance recital season, and our last Baby Ballet class at Kathy Blake's

was a dress rehearsal. Our first ever miniature bun! Sparkly hair gel! Tutu!!! She barely lets me comb her hair in the morning, so I prayed that the bun up-do would be straightforward... (Remember, you're reading the blog from the lady who wears no makeup, and hasn't bought hair gel in decades.) We survived and she loved her little red lips too!