Retro? What? When did my life become retro?

(THANK GOODNESS for the "Recover Post" button!! I love you blogger.com!! I got this whole thing typed, was uploading the pic, and my power flickered and shut my whole computer down... I booted it back up, logged back on, crossed my fingers and clicked recover post. AND there it WAS!! It was like Magic!! Half my blog!! Which is much better than NONE of my blog!!)

My house is finally silent. Well, as silent as my house gets. Marty had a big fire last night, it started at 10:30pm, and lasted until this morning. (More on that tomorrow.) He fought it all night, with 4 other departments, took a shower and came home, utterly exhausted, to watch the kids all day while I was at work. I tried not to get mad when I walked in the door and was met with a horrific mess that Colby made. I won't go into it, because it is disgusting. Really disgusting. I also tried not to get mad at the dishes. See, I decided to take a stand, and not do anything to the house. I figured that when there was not a clean glass, plate, or pair of underwear, Marty would be forced to do... something. Anything. Unfortunately, my plan backfired. I had to do 4 sinks of dishes before I could cook supper. *sigh* Not the way I planned on spending the last night before Kindergarten.
Anyway, silent house. The air conditioner is humming. Marty is asleep on the couch. A car show is on the TV. He is oblivious. Colby is tossing and turning, and every once in a while, I hear his crib music box start up. He keeps punching it until he is too tired to get up anymore. That is when I know he is asleep.

Elizabeth is also tossing and turning. She has been a complete handful tonight. Literally spastic. Bouncing off the walls, talking too loud, grabbing Colby too hard. Every motion completely exaggerated by her can't-wait-until-tomorrow mania. I hate to admit it, but I was really glad to put her down for bed.

The backpack is by the door, ready to go. Strawberry Shortcake. Which I think is hysterical, because all of my things were Strawberry Shortcake when I started Kindergarten. Those scented dolls were the crack-for-kids of the 80's. Who could resist shoving their nose into her hair and inhaling the scent of rubber and strawberries? I remember yelling at my friends to stop smelling of my dolls because they were going to "use up all the smell". And whatever happened to the others?? Huckleberry Pie? Purple Pieman & Capt'n Crackle? Blueberry Muffin? Raspberry Tart?? Lime Chiffon? Did they move away, out of Strawberry Land? Did they grow up? Did they D. I. E.??? And why can't you buy the big rubber dolls like we had? Strawberry Shortcake, in my mind, always seemed a bit chubby, like me. A happy, chubby, carefree girl with a big, huge bonnet. Today's Strawberry Shortcake is a rail thin, curly headed sprite, a hipper version of what I grew up on. I don't like her. She is an imposter. Bring back the fatty!!

I digress. A few months ago, I told Elizabeth about all the fun things we were going to shop for when it was time for kindergarten. The clothes. The school supplies. And the much anticipated, completely revered... lunchbox. You know, the kind that snaps shut, and contains the even cooler thermos. Decorated in a slightly different motif than the lunchbox, the thermos was always the most awesome part of my back to school experience. What else can keep milk coldish, and soup warmish from 7:30 in the morning until 11:30 lunchtime? And it had the cool cup on the top, so that you could daintily drink your milk / coke / tea / soup without having to drink out of the thermos. I never felt so grown as I did when I opened that lunchbox to see what suprises my mom had packed.

I was in for a big shock. The old metal lunchboxes gave way to the plastic ones many years ago, and I remember being somewhat sad about that. What I didn't know is that the hard plastic ones had given way to "soft sides" lunchboxes with "sport bottles". Sport bottles are not cool. How can you drink soup out of a sport bottle? Your noodles, or corn, or tomatos would clog up the spout! And they are not even insulated! Milk will be hot! Gross! I don't want to give my kid milky chunks to drink for lunch!

So, we didn't find a lunchbox. I had not brought up the topic for a couple of weeks, hoping she would forget. I made a huge deal about getting the school lunch menu. "WOW! Elizabeth!! On your first day of school, you are going to have a chicken crispito! Salsa! (what? is there a kindergartener alive that eats salsa?) A spinich salad! (can't wait for that!) Ranch Dressing! Grapes! and MILK! Yum! I wish I could eat with YOU!" She seemed as excited as me. On Open House day, I pointed out the cafeteria. "This is where you will eat a nice yummy lunch that they cook for you!" YAY!

But tonight, right before I turned out the light, she said, "Hey mom? What are we going to do about my lunchbox and thermos?"

"Don't worry honey. Mom will take care of it. I love you, and get a good nights sleep."

Ebay, here I come.