Monday, July 28, 2008

And the Best Actress Oscar Goes to....

...The Baroness, for her outstanding performance in the summer blockbuster, "Le Exchange Francais"!

Last night, at some ungodly hour, we dropped off Julien and our very wired Duke #2 at the airport for their midnight excursion back across the Atlantic for the Duke's 4 week stay.

When Duke 2 hugged me goodbye, I so wanted to embrace him with such a fierce strength, with so much love that I would squeeze the jelly out of him.

But I didn't.

When he gave me a kiss goodbye, I so wanted to smother his man-boy face with kisses, and tell him over and over and over how much I loved him.

But I didn't.

When he asked me, "You're not going to cry, are you Mom?", I activated my armored shell and calmly said of course not - I was so excited for him, and he was going to have the adventure of a lifetime.

But I so wanted to just burst into tears and let him know how much his loving spirit uplifts our home every day, how much I adore who he is, how he is one of the 3 most important things in the world to me, and how his exchange family will swiftly fall under his magical charm, and that he will be on my mind every second until I see him again.

But I didn't.

But - oh, my God - how I wanted to.

And that, my friend, is why I'm holding this little gold statue right now.

18 comments:

neutron said...

Very sweet ... it's all you!

Anonymous said...

Count of Ping Pong: Yeah, yeah - the secret's out. I'm one of those hard fruit candies with the gooey center.

Little unclear on your meaning - it's all me? Meaning it's just a mom thing?

abb said...

Never forget when hubby and I drove away from leaving our oldest at college for her freshman year (I'm a "bit" older than you (sigh)). I was staring out the side window blinded by tears until he said in a cracking voice if I could see anything he might hit as he couldn't see. Yup, a watershed in the car. But NOT in front of the daughter!

Anonymous said...

My goodness... and I had a rough time when K2 went to San Diego last month for 3 days. You deserve that award!

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

*sniff* wiping snot off my nose.

Cormac Brown said...

Hey, consider it a prelude and primer for inevitible empty nest. Not to mention he'll be having the time of his life, so take happiness in that.

Mental P Mama said...

Cannot even begin to comprehend the goodbyes coming my way either. You deserve your award.

RiverPoet said...

Oh...it's so hard to let those kids go, isn't it? I'm proud of you for holding it together for his sake, but I know what it costs to do that.

Peace - D

Anonymous said...

At least you let go. Clinging is easy . . . but letting go . . .

I just hope the orchestra didn't shoo you off the stage too quickly . . .

Anonymous said...

Countess TSannie: Oh, the things we hide, to NEVER show in front of the kids. I wonder if it's the right thing to do...

Countess AG: Yes, add "Best Dramatic Actress in a Comedy" to my mad skillz list.

Countess iPost: Aw, hon. Will you stop if I let you hold the little gold guy for a second or two?

Count of Brown: My sister (by another mother) has experienced this thrice; she is a great comfort. After the fact. And if I hadn't got "the call" yesterday from him, jet-lagged and one big raw nerve, saying how he missed us, and how shell-shocked he was, it would be ok. You and I know he'll make lifetime memories. But currently I wait for the update.

Countess MPM: I've got that happening at the end of August. That gives me a whole month to practice my stoic mom face in front of the bathroom mirror...

Countess RiverPoet: I clung too long, and didn't spend the requisite amount of time "toughening them up". So we are mostly a family of mushballs. Yay, von B's!!

Count Daddy: Are you KIDDING? I was giving my oh-so-eloquent (and loud) acceptance speech well into the second commercial! Then came the hook.

I thought that only happened in Bugs Bunny.

Who knew?

neutron said...

Hi Baroness. "It's all you" ... sorry about the confusion but it's actually a "hip" complement i.e. you rock and it (the Oscar) is all yours ... well deserved, etc.

Anonymous said...

Count of Ping Pong: I'm so frickin' far behind in my viewing of "Entourage", I'm completely out of the loop on hip sayings - I should have just checked this out on Urban Dictionary first.

Thanks for the 411. (Hip, eh???) :)

Not Afraid to Use It said...

Oh that is such a tough call, let them see or suck it up? Maybe a little bit of both? Sounds like you earned that award, my dear.

Shelley Jaffe said...

Countess NATUI: I am SO guilty of not toughening up my boys - they both wear their emotions on their sleeves.
All Duke 2 needed to become a blithering idiot was to see me shed the first tear.

Man, I hate being the grownup. It doth sucketh - big time.

Anonymous said...

you know that i both miss and love you, and that i would've burst into tears had you done the same. thank you for holding them in :) only 22 more days!

Duke2

Anonymous said...

Duke 2: Oh, yeah - I forgot for a moment that you actually read this thing, non?

Let this be a revelatory moment for you - although parents may seems like cold-hearted meanies, they don't necessarily WANT to be that way. It's just part of the job. And it's really, really hard.

Memaw's memories said...

Sounds like you deserved that statue.

Anonymous said...

Countess MeeMaw: Aw, thanks. I'm sure, with you being a MeeMaw and all, you've done this before. But the next couple of experiences are new ones for me...

 
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