Exchange of the Day: (re. Shopping for new apartment)
Me: “Nick do I even need to buy you a mop, will you use it?”
Nick: “Yes…but not for months. We’ve got plenty of time.”
So, my 21 and 19 year olds are moving into their own apartments next week. I offered to take them to Walmart to help them get the things they will need. They both managed to look very affronted that I thought my presence would be required, they are after all, legal adults. I may or may not have seen surreptitious eye-rolling. They liked the idea of of it being on my credit card however, so in the end I went.
I was very glad I did because as we cruised the aisles I began to suggest that they avail themselves of items such as dishes, utensils, pots and pans, towels, mats. This was met with looks of wonder as though it had not crossed their minds that one might need to purchase such items. Apparently, they had come to the conclusion that since all of those items were present in MY house that they must be standard to all places of living. That one merely opened drawers and forks appeared, that shower curtains rose from the drain and hung themselves on rods that came down from Heaven. I was happy to be able to share with them the information that if you don’t bring these things with you, you won’t have them. Who knew?
Once they grasped that concept the idea of this Walmart visit began to make more sense and they threw themselves into selecting all kinds of things, including some trippy looking flatware, that looked like it came from the Jerry Garcia Collection. I do wonder a bit what they had thought we were there to buy? What essentials of apartment living they would’ve bought? Posters? Pizza rolls? The Camo Black Bear soap dispenser that I made them put back?
After this success we moved on to advanced concepts such as dry goods, dish drainers and trash cans. But just as it appeared we we’re making progress I came upon them on aisle 7 using their carts to joust with their new brooms.
This is what I’m unleashing on an unsuspecting world next week, incomplete frontal lobe development and all. World, brace yourself.
Present Imperfect 
Love this. I just did the same with Regina. Questions such as what cleaning supplies do you need were met with a look of huh? When I suggested we buy a toilet plunger based on the inevitable fact that a clogged toilet will be a frequent occurrence with 6 girls and one toilet in the apartment, she said “Gross, can’t we just call someone if that happens?” I think she’s already forgotten that “someone” is a parent when she’s home. Things like hangers and lightbulbs were replaced by looking at clothes to go on said hangers and cool desk lamps with usb plug ins in lavender to match her bedding , yet nary a concern about what type of lightbulb the lamp needed or how many she’d blow through in a semester. I set her up on Saturday among the insanity of 40,000 other coeds at Penn State and their equally concerned Swiffer carrying moms and said a silent prayer as I left her. God, just keep her safe. In the end that’s all I really care about….
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