Teach 'em how to take those minutes and turn 'em into moments

Road blog: missing some important things - 

I'm sure I'll post a recap of the long Festival weekend soon enough to say that it was fun, it was hot and I did some stupid things but today as I'm sitting in my hotel in the Arizona desert and getting ready to head into another long day of show prep it's a big day for all of my kids at home.

The twins start kindergarden today - 

They've been in "school" already so the setting itself isn't a huge change for them and I'm sure it will actually be a giant relief for both of them as they've both been stressing about what it was going to be like for some time, despite our repeated assurances that they are not only prepared for but well ahead of any kindergarden class.  I hope they see that and follow their mother's advice and just focus on meeting their classmates and making some new friends.

Aidan hasn't had another outburst of wanting to make sure he's ready for school lately but I could tell it was nagging at him a little and he's been in good shape.  Owen rarely shows his anxiety and almost never talks about it directly but the other night I told him all he needed to do was to try hard to listen to his teacher (he can be spacey, my only concern for him in a school setting) and he'd be fine.  

Yesterday morning as I was getting out the door to the airport Owen sat on the stairs with his lower lip trembling saying he's trying hard to listen to my advice but he's worried about it.  That was hard - he KNOWS he's spacey and he knows he's not always able to control it but we both know he's trying and I wish there was more I could do to help him but I guess that's the emotional part of kindergarden - they're finally off on their own, ready or not.

I think they're ready and I hope they see it today and the stress (once again, what five year olds have stress??) surrounding this mysterious thing they're starting will be replaced with some fun and some new friends.

The teenager, on the other hand, started school yesterday and today is his 17th birthday- 

I don't know which I want to say more (since he doesn't read this blog anyway):

Happy birthday to my boy and how proud I am of him for making it this far at all and best wishes at the RATM concert tonight and what will hopefully become his first quasi-riot experience and might include some tear-gas if things go well.  Finally off on his own, ready or not (you can breathe through your t-shirt if you get it wet, demand a lawyer right away)

OR

How it seems unreal that it was 17 years ago that this little (actually gigantic for a baby) kiddo and I met and how cool it's been having him right at my side through everything since then.  

His mother went into labor on Labor Day and he was born on what would have been my first day of 11th grade, meaning he's essentially where I was (plus one year older) the day he was born.

That just seems impossible, mostly the idea of putting a teenager in charge of a smaller life (demand a lawyer right away) when teenagers clearly aren't able to figure out their own lives yet - thankfully things turned out for the best.

I hate being this far away today.

Butch in suit in the desert.