Naughty, Naughty Mother!

This morning, I did not get a call from my mom. (Remember, she had agreed to check in with me each morning in order to stave off a caregiving invasion?) Nate and I headed over to the house as soon as I was finished with my only student of the day. We arrived around 9:30 a.m. and found the garage door open and water sprinkler running. Mom came to the door quickly after we bing-bonged and seemed reasonably happy to see us.

Gwen: Mom, you didn't call.

Mom: I knew you were coming over today, so I thought, Why call?

Gwen: Um, because you said you would?

Mom: (punches Nate in shoulder) Defend me!

Nate: I'm staying out of this.

We visited for a bit and then Nate and I left for a homeschool co-op activity. We arrived back at Mom's with Meg in tow around 1:30 p.m. Nate mowed, Meg moved wood chips, I wiped down college yearbooks (much to Mom's consternation..."I don't know why you want to keep those old things!") and started working on organizing/decluttering Mom's desk. Mom had a nap and then seemed to have more energy. In the morning, she had seemed weak and tired, even asking Nate to move her water sprinkler for her. After her nap, she said, "I'll move it. I know where I want it to go." We left to pick up Ev from school.

Gwen: So, you will call me when you get up in the morning?

Mom: Oh, I should do that.

Gwen: Here's the deal. If you don't call, we will get in the car and come right over.

Mom: Okay! I'll call!

Naughty, naughty mother! She reminds me of Karis as a toddler. Her independence was so very important that I would say, "Karis, if you don't walk right next to me, you will have to hold my hand." And so the little toot would walk right next to me! The ultimate threat: If you don't do what you are supposed to, you will have to have close contact with me. The stuff of nightmares for the compulsively autonomous.