Nothing academic again, today. I had to go back to the endodontist, which is 60 miles away. I brought Clare and Kieron with me so they could watch the littlies. It turned out to be a very short procedure, which was good since it was 95 degrees down in town and our car air conditioner doesn’t work that great.
Then we stopped by a couple of second-hand stores and came out with quite a haul. Sean wanted shirts with collars and we bought a few other things, mostly summer clothes for Clare and me. We do this about 3 times a year and accomplish most of our clothes buying that way. The only things that are hard to get are nice pants in adolescent-boy sizes, so we sometimes have to buy new for those. And of course, I set aside a budget for new socks because we are constantly going through those with 6 boys in the family.
Then we went to Joann’s so Clare could get a chocolate-brown silky fabric to make a dress for her cousin’s wedding — she’s going to be one of the ones handing out programs. Paddy’s a ringbearer but he already has his things.
All in all, it was a good day. It was much more fun than shopping trips usually are. I’m not sure why. The little ones’ patience was tested by the boring clothes racks but Paddy found a pen and scratch pad in my purse and kept himself busy handing out “messages” for a long time, and Aidan is So.Much.Better. about staying close by in this kind of store. He used to be about the worst you can be. Now he follows along amiably and takes an interest in the selections: “Are you buying this one for Daddy? This one? This one?”
Sean is reading Loamhedge now (another Brian Jacques). Yesterday we watched Breaking Away. This is a hidden gem. I watched it with Kevin back when we were in college. The clothing and hairstyles are so 70’s — do you remember those days when men wore short-shorts? looks so very odd nowadays– and that is amusing to my kids, but otherwise, it’s timeless.
Son: I am sorry I made you return the money. Everyone cheats. I just didn’t know.
Dad: Well, now you do. (but his expression is a completely different subtext).
A little later in the conversation — son is hugging the dad and crying on his shoulder, and the dad is tentatively and ineffectually trying to pat him on the back:
Dad: I didn’t want you to be this miserable. A little bit’s all I asked for.
It is a wonderful movie. There is some strong language and profanity, but otherwise, no cautions. The soundtrack of Rossini and Mendelssohn is just right.
