Reality Check...

This afternoon I pulled up in the hubby's blacked out Escalade to pick Bentley up from school.  Not your typical "Mom" ride with its after-market parts and beefy, loud engine.  Gracie and I were listening to a little Stevie Nicks during the short ride.  I jumped out in the rain and crowded into the school lobby with all of the other Mom's...and had a much needed reality check.  While my baby girl  waited patiently in the blacked out SUV listening to classic tunes because I didn't want to drag her out in the rain, I looked around the lobby at all of the other Moms - their rain gear, their dry and done hair, their Crocs and JCrew-looking attire.  I am certainly the "different" one in my ripped jeans, black skull scarf, and tattoos all over.  But it doesn't bother me.  The teachers were calling the kids' names and Bentley was next, with his spiked hair and shirt with a mustache on it.  The other kids came quietly out to their Moms, but not my little man.  Just like every other day - he came sprinting out with the biggest smile on his face, laughing, and jumped into my arms.  I scooped him up and he gave me a kiss as he quietly said "Oh, I like your dress, Mommy" and rubbed my shoulder.  It was a sweater but what does it matter.  He then asked for Gracie and said "Can we go dance?"  We climbed into the loud, ghetto-ed out SUV as I asked him what he wanted to dance to...and my heart was warm when he said "Tom Petty."  I've been recording live concerts and we have music/dance sessions during the day where we crank the TV and bang on the Tupperware.  I'm not so much your "Wheels on the Bus" kinda Mom if you haven't figured that out yet.  But you know what, when the teacher tells me at Bentley's parent-teacher conference that he is such a happy, sweet, inquisitive boy; and he runs out to me every day I pick him up with the biggest smile and he laughs and jumps into my arms, who really cares about much else?

So we ran into the house, we turned on Tom Petty w/Stevie Nicks, and we danced and banged on Tupperware before quiet time.  It was just the reality check I needed.  And when he asked me to lay down with him and of course I did...he rubbed my cheek and said "oh, it's OK, honey..." (where he picked this one up I have no idea) and continued with a string of compliments for his Mama..."Mommy, I like your sweater...Bentley, I like your shirt...ya Mommy it's my mustache shirt...Mommy, you have nice hair (as he brushes away my bangs)...buddy you have great hair...Mommy, I like your earrings...bud, you have such nice eyes..."  And he gave me a big smooch on the lips.

We didn't put the Tupperware and spoons away, they are sitting neatly on the coffee table for whatever concert he wants to watch later...Petty, DMB, Tim McGraw, John Fogherty...

~E