When my kids were little my absolute favorite color for the fall was school bus yellow. Come September the greatest sight in the world was the back of my sweet babies heads as they boarded that bus.  All the new backpacks were filed with school supplies, my kids were wearing the outfit I had spent a week picking out so they would match for the first day of school picture and there was excitement in the air. 

 As soon as the bus doors closed I had a ritual.  I would go to McDonalds and grab a large diet coke with extra ice, come home and get back in bed and call my best friend Tara.  We would talk for hours without anyone having to say “Can’t you see I am on the phone?”, “no , you can’t tie your brother up with a jump rope” or yelling down the stairs “Don’t make me come down there!!!”.  It was the most delicious and wonderful morning of the year.

Times have changed.  One child is off at college, Tara had the audacity to get a full time job and the only time Michael interrupts me on the phone is when he needs a ride somewhere.

Michael  my sophomore grunted at me a couple of times before I left to drive him to school.  This child that I had comtemplated paying to be silent for five minutes when he was little had reduced his vocabulary to a few syllables and a couple of loks of disgust. There was no excitement in the air. I asked if I could take his picture and he said “Mom, that’s just weird”.

So I sit here today all alone.  I have no diet coke, no Tara and even the dog is bored.  It may be time for a new ritual.  Maybe a first day of school purse.  The staff at Nordstrom I am sure would love to see me on the first day of school with a bright shiny credit card.  

Think I could get a Visa in school bus yellow?