Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy
Latest posts by Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy (see all)
- Dear Judgy Mothers on My Website… - June 15, 2013
- 10 Skills Every Mother Should Possess - June 10, 2013
- Perfection (Or pretty close) - June 3, 2013
When I was little, I would constantly ask my parents if they were excited about upcoming events. On the way to a birthday party at an ice skating rink: “Are you excited?” Visiting extended cousins: “Are you excited?” Heading to a Girl Scout camping trip: “Are you excited?” On the way to a movie: “Are you excited?” Any time I felt excited, I’d assume they felt the identically.
Without fail, they’d respond the same way. “Excited? We’re looking forward to it,” they’d explain. I remember thinking it was so strange that my parents weren’t as enthusiastic as I was about a country fair or skating or a Paula Abdul concert. How sad it must be to get old, I reflected. Of course, I never thought to ask if they were excited about their trips abroad or grown up events or anything that I didn’t happen to be counting down the days to. It’s a child’s job to be self absorbed.
We went to the beach over the weekend for a quick trip away. As I was listing all of the plans for the kids — the walk on the boardwalk, the ice cream, the games, the pool, the beach, Lily happily asked if I was excited. “Excited?” I thought about it. “Not excited, really. I’m looking forward to it.” And I was.
I am, however, quite excited for things like the first day of school.
And, I have officially turned into my parents.
{ 63 comments… read them below or add one }
My daughter asks me the same thing and I always think that she has a different definition of excitement than I do. Maybe it is just that we are looking at things so differently.
: ) you always make me smile. I always get sort of sad in September : (
The first day of school cannot possibly get here fast enough.
I’ll be sad at some point that my kids are off away from me. But, at first? Pure joy to have peace and quiet.
It’s been great having them around, I’m just looking forward — EXCITED — for the bickering to stop. A little too much togetherness here.
My kids start on Wednesday and they will find out their teachers this afternoon. The school posts them for everyone to see and it turns into quite the event. And yes, I am SO excited for the first day of school.
Carolyn, I’ve been thinking recently about how different school systems work. I love that your school posts teacher assignments. I’m waiting for my daughter’s to come in the mail (BUT, this is better than her elementary school where we’d be hard pressed to get a supply list before the end of week one).
Well, we find out the teachers but we still have no idea what supplies they’ll need until the teacher gives the kids a list after they start school. I don’t understand why they can’t just email it to everyone… or at least have it posted along with the teachers today.
Um, did you say ice cream? Now I’M EXCITED!!
That was lovely. Especially the bit about the first day back at school. Pur excitement!
Or even “pure” excitement!
I had a dream that my kids started school and they were late for the first day. Excited? Yes! A little bit of dread? Yeah, that too. My youngest (in 2nd last year) had 36 tardies. Aaaack!
So true! I don’t get excited about much these days. School? Oh, yeah.
I just watched my baby bravely march up the school bus steps. He was cool, calm, and ready to take 2nd grade on by storm…at least on the outside. Somehow I miss him already.
But as he goes back to school, I must get back to my “work.”
Excitement. Apprehension. You never outgrow it.
Cheers.
Love it! My four boys are in middle and high school now…I “look forward” to them leaving for school in the morning, but I’m “excited” when I hear the squeal of the school bus in the afternoon because I know the party is about to start!
My daughter is forever asking me if I am excited.
–>I ask my son if he’s excited all the time. Then again, I don’t tell him things in advance or he’ll ask me 100 times about it that I lose MY excitement.
That’s so funny because I do the exact same thing. If I tell my DD {10} and DS {5} anything in advance they badger until it gets here. It also pays off in the end because I get to see that I’m so excited, I’m in shock face. LOL
YES! I do that, too.
LOL! I expect this to happen to me any day now, but for now I’m still pretty excitable. Mostly because Miss L doesn’t get to choose our activities!
I’m giggling b/c the kids do this to me so often that now I ask THEM: we’re going to the grocery store; are you excited?” (in an extremely super excited voice, of course). I was made to raise other people.
My kids are extremely excitable! Elijah lives in a state of euphoria and Michael will laugh at anything! It’s exhilarating to live in such a positive atmosphere! Love it!
Oh, the feeling of the first day of a new school year. When you get the house to yourself and you can do anything you want, go any where you want, and don’t have to worry about entraining, or even just pitting up with, the kids. Freedom!
When I stayed at home, I was so excited that my son was going to pre-school. Now that I work 30+ hours a week, I don’t want them to go to school! lol
i can’t wait for the first day back to school i have got the 3 of them all over excited!!!! The elder 2 seem to be fighting and tattle tailing every minuite. it will be ever so much quieter with the 2 older ones at school BLISS
I feel like the energy I used to spend on “excitement” is now spent on full-time work and child-raising responsibilities . . .
But I don’t want to lose that enthusiasm!
So sometimes I just fake it. It’s fun. :-)
24 days ’til my Masters of Mayhem get dumped for their first day of school — but whose counting?!
HA! I love the line about “how sad it must be to get old.” That’s what we think until we start to morph into our parents. Crazy how that happens!
he he. Funny how it all comes back around isn’t it? Hope the beach was fun.
The beach was fun. Jeff and I came back needing a vacation, though. :)
So glad to hear you say that. I am starting to think the long days of summer are getting too . . .long. And that made me feel guilty, especially since this is my daughter’s last summer before kindgergarten. But when I hear others say it, I don’t feel so bad. Thanks!
Woah, I’m feeling a sense of deja vu here. I JUST blogged about “Daddy, will you play with me?” remembering how much I LOVED to ‘play’ when I was young and now, sometimes, I dread it. I have become my parents as well it seems.
This is so spot on. :-) And why must we East Coasters wait until after Labor Day for the first day of school? Sheesh.
Not all East Coaster wait until after Labor Day. Here in NC, it’s next week!!
In SC it was Monday!!
I don’t know how I didn’t find your blog sooner!! Clicking link after link the past hour, I’ve finally landed here and in love and completely inspired!
Excited for school to start is an understatement.
I am fucking ECSTATIC!!!!!!
Congratulations on surviving summer and yay for Fall and all things that come with it – school starting included. More time for that book writing now eh?
Yes, I’m excited for the first day of school too. I remember telling my mom or dad “You get to put me to bed tonight!” like it was some kind of ultimate privilege. Self-absorbed, yup! I’m sure my mother must have had to bite her tongue.
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. I’m trying to think if I’m getting more ‘boringer’ to about certain things. Probably not.
As sorry as I feel for all the kids starting school soon – and I truly do – I am deeply excited for the parents! ;)
My kids are NOT happy. But, I think the routine will be good for them. It’s enough already.
First day of school? I have been counting down the days since the last day of school. I thought everyone was….maybe we should confess this.
Brittany {Mommy Words} recently posted..Unexpected Joy, Unbelieveable Grief
You know, it’s a bit sad to lose such enthusiasm, but that enthusiasm is tempered with wisdom and experience. When you’re so young, everything is new. You see things through fresh, virgin eyes. You don’t know that at camp you may meet someone who breaks your heart, or that a trip may bring peril. Adults have endured the bad and the good, and they bracingly look forward to things with the slightly jaded view of experience. They also, sadly, look at things in how much they cost, because it’s their blood, sweat and tears that pay for the experiences…and they hope, so fiercely, that whatever comes is worth it. One good thing about being an adult, with those old eyes and almost cynical heart, is that when good things do happen, they’re honey-sweet and appreciated for what they are: wonderful, unexpected and worth the pain.
Because you had that experience with your parents, why didn’t you answer Lily that you were excited too just to humor her? My kids aren’t old enough to ask me that, but I think I would respond “Yes, I’m excited!” because I would want them to feel we were excited with them.
Skye Diaz | motherhood, etc. recently posted..5 pregnancy goodies to have
Because I wasn’t! There are many times I AM excited to do things with them and would answer that way. This just wasn’t one of them.
Plus, I don’t think I’m too scared by that aspect of my youth.
that’s cool, i guess lying to your kids would not be good either.
Skye Diaz | motherhood, etc. recently posted..do your kids use the Apple iPod Touch?
I think it’s just a matter of semantics: “excited” when you’re 8 becomes “looking forward” when you’re 38, unless you’re talking about a two-week, all-expenses-paid, kid-free trip to Italy.
So true. I took my 6 year old to a Miranda Cosgrove concert and she was asking if I was excited the entire ride there as we had her cd blasting. Excited…um not really…excited for her yes….more excited for it end…oh yeah!
Skinny Mom’s Kitchen recently posted..Buttermilk Pancakes
While I am rather excited for school to begin next week… back to the daily routine, running naked through my house all day long once more, etc….
I also feel quite badly for my Son… First Day of High School = His Birthday…. Poor kid… BUT at least he’ll have 4 Tests to look forward to thanks to Pre AP!
I still get excited for things! Last week we went whitewater rafting, and I was genuinely excited for that, maybe because it is a pretty exciting experience. Is “eager” somewhere between “looking forward to” and “excited”? Because I think both my child and I are eager about things a good part of the time ;-)
Pat yourself on the back, by the way, for not raising cynical kids. That they get excited by simple pleasures (well for THEM the beach is simple b/c they’re not thinking about cleaning the sand out of everything, which is enough to dent any adult’s excitement) is a testament to good parenting in a jaded age.
Nancy Davis Kho recently posted..Hang Up The Phone and Camp
First day of school can’t come fast enough. I can’t wait for it and I go to work every day! I think it’s the routine of it all. It makes life a lot easier.
Oh, yea. I turned into my parents a long time ago. I hate it.
The first day of school was yesterday but the two little ones remain since the first day of PRE-school is not until after Labor Day. Whoever’s cockamamie idea that was needs to be fired, btw…
And I do get EXCITED – for date nights and Girls Night Out! :D
Elaine recently posted..Tour of my Car – Vlogtalk
Funny how all that that was exciting just sounds like a lot of work now lol
mom taxi julie recently posted..The Last First Day
Aw, cute! But weren’t you a LITTLE bit excited? ;) I’m NERVOUS as hell for my son starting grade one… a FULL DAY OF SCHOOL. Wah!
I still get excited about all that stuff and I will be honest I am not looking forward to school starting back. School means homework again I am hate homework!! LOL
Your children are too cute loving that picture
The first day of school! YES! We’ve almost made it.
But I love the point you make about a child’s excitement. Definitely looking forward to things – but also…really enjoying their excitement.
I have been on a countdown since late June. We have had a nice summer, but I prefer the rhythm of the school year. My kids, however, not so much.
Jeanine recently posted..Vampires are Real and Coming to Your Home! Hide Your Kids, Hide Your Wives!
I have turned into my parents too! I think it is because we are the ones who have to get everything together for a trip or outing and have to clean it up or unpack afterwards. I always said when the kids were younger I need a vacation for myself after the family vacation! My niece, Skylar, gets overly excited and asks everybody if they are too. She has almost neon blue eyes and they get so big when she is talking about something she is excited about.
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We still have three weeks before school starts. Would you be ‘excited’ to host my kids for a mini-vacation next week? I know I would be very excited for you to have them? This is brilliant, yes?
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My husband used to ask me that whenever we had a trip planned (I say used because trips went out the window once we had kids). I don’t get excited until I’m actually leaving. Now that we have kids, I can totally relate to what your parents used to say. Being a parent means we can see all the potential work ahead.
zeemaid recently posted..The Trailer Lied ~~Jane Eyre
Ahhh, I turned into my mother a LONG time ago! It scared the crap out of me when it happened, lol.
Cheryl M. recently posted..30 Day Blog Challenge – #17 Things that Make Me Instantly Happy
Looking forward is a nice thing to do because you have set your mind to focus on the future plans. By looking forward, you are also moving forward. I guess being a parent is good.
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