It's the little things

Although I am trying to wean myself from texting my college students all the time, I allowed myself to send this text on waking:

Good morning my beautiful children. Have a wonderful first full week of school.

The key was it did not require a response, and so would not necessarily be seen as needy and demanding.

At mid morning my son called. He wanted to talk finances. He had just been paid, had some summer bills to settle up, and wanted me to know he would send me the remainder of the paycheck to be put toward his tuition by week's end. And when he gets paid again in two weeks, that check will be sent to me in full.

I love how responsible he is and how earnestly he means to contribute to our family bottom line. But I had to caution him to make sure he stays mindful of the balance between school and work, remembering that school is the priority. He worked 107 hours in the past 12-day period, averaging 9 and 10 hour days. He got time and a half last week by being the lifeguard on duty on the set of a movie that was being filmed at his college's aquatic center. Those were 12 hour days. Time to ease up now that school is starting. We had a nice easy phone call. Then just now, I got this text from my daughter:

Good afternoon beautiful mama. Have a wonderful first full empty nest week (seriously though enjoy it haha its a new stage of your life that you should take advantage of!) Love you. Text you when I can. 

Those are my baby birds, ages 8 and 5, on a charmed fall outing we took to Bear Mountain.