Threesome (+1)

I was talking to a friend about Jack's workaholism the other day, and how he is better about connecting with the kids.  The Big E is running cross country, and Jack used to run.  He is taking an active interest her running, taking her shopping for clothes and shoes, and asking about her practices, the courses, and her times.  She is happy to talk about her progress, and notes if her times are getting better.  They have run a few 5Ks together in the summer.  She tells us the girls have named the hills around town.  In Ravenna Park, one is called Death, another Narnia.  Ironically, Narnia is the longer, steeper hill.

While I was telling this friend this story, she realized that her husband needs to take more of an active interest her two kids.

"Sometimes it feels like it is just the three of us," she said.  "We go about the day, and I take them places."

I knew what she meant by the threesome.  Sometimes it does feel like it is just the Big E, the Boy and I.  Our fourth at times is Fox, who snuggles up with me on the bed after Jack goes to work.

I spoke with a different friend this week, too.  Her son left for college this fall, and she is having a hard time adjusting.  She is of course happy for him, but she misses him, too.   She is also enjoying getting to know her younger son without the older one around.  Her threesome is now a duet.  I've known Leslie since the Big E was in first grade, and she is an awesome mother.  She was an uber-volunteer.  She was always supportive of what her kids were doing, but not helicopter parent.  She let her kids make their own mistakes.  She also worked part-time, keeping balance between her professional and personal lives.  While she was keeping home fires burning, her husband had built up his own company, which is now quite successful.  She looks at her part-time job, wondering why she didn't fully maximize her MBA and become a powerful executive.

"Lauren," she told me earlier this week, "You need to figure out what you want to do before E leaves for college.  You have four years.  You don't want to be stuck when she graduates from high school."