It was the hardest, and actually, the most thankless job of my years as the mother of young children: shopping and hiding presents. I tried hiding the presents in garbage bags, the trunk of the car, the basement, the attic… and even under their beds. It was enough to drive a mom crazy, keeping the packages straight, switching hiding spots, while keeping that Elf busy.
Today, they’re old enough to not really care… because I really can’t “wow” and “surprise” teenagers… they’re so “passive.” So, I really didn’t think too much about the fact that I posted one of the greatest Christmas presents a boy could ever hope for, right here on this blog. Because, no one here in this house ever reads this blog. The boys could care less what my perceptions are about what’s happening here, nor are they interested in my household tips, hacks and recipes. This, I realize now, is a very, very, very foolish belief.
Imagine my surprise when my son wrote about me, for his high school paper. His task was to write about gender roles he has seen in his own family. Interestingly, he wrote about my choice to quit writing professionally when he was small; and how I kept my desire to write alive by starting this blog; with the help of a very, very good “male” babysitter.
Eventually, his paper found his way into the writing lab, where a patient aid worked with him to refine his paper. She was curious and asked my son to show her this “blog” he was writing about. So, he pulls it up susiej.com.
And right there, on the first page, is the story about “Abby Road.” And, now, he knows.