JOURNALING: Lets face it, youre not a shopper. I knew this early on, even in your toddler days. Theres a reason you have a huge tub of Hot Wheels cars under your bed - it was how I got you to agree to grocery shop with me very week - without whining about it - from ages 3-6. Four years of weekly shopping trips really added up. Eventually the little cars turned into a weekly allowance, which bought me one trip to Target a week without you rolling your eyes about it - because you wanted to spend your allowance money anyway. But last December, at 10 years old, you decided you would like to start staying home by yourself during my quick trips to run errands. We tried it out one night when I realized I had to run to the store for tomato sauce - a fifteen minute trip, tops! I was frustrated at every single stop sign from our house to the grocery store - and I think I must have looked like a crazed Supermarket Sweep contestant blazing through that store to get tomato sauce. I returned home expecting that you'd hurtle yourself into my arms and tell me that it wasn't worth it, but instead you barely glanced up from what you were doing - and gave me a little "that was quick!" From that point forward the trips have gotten a little longer, and the lack of reaction when I return home has become more glaringly obvious. Sometimes I call you from the checkout at Target and you almost sound annoyed. I guess this is the end of an era. I won't lie, it saves us a TON of money, and I no longer feel guilty about dragging you through a women's clothing store. And it's nice to spend as much time as I want smelling hand soaps without you rolling your eyes next to me and saying "It's just SOAP!" But that empty seat beside me in the car is taking some getting used to. I want you to exercise your independence, I really do. And you're a responsible, capable kid who certainly doesn't need his mom hovering over him all of the time. But it's a little bit lonely, this empty seat beside me - and if I act disproportionately excited and jump up and down a little every time you agree to run to the store with me, try to let it slide. I'm working on my independence, too. 4/2/2011

MATERIALS: Vagabond http://www.oscraps.com/shop/product.php?productid=26695&cat=363&page=1 by One Little Bird, Fonts are Sentinel by Hoefler & Frere-Jones and Pea Devon by kevinandamanda.com