Suffering

Oh, the suffering! Oh, the tragedy! Oh, the angst!

The Son of Never Stops Eating was moping around the house last night, complaining about having to go back to school after his week-long Thanksgiving break.  Even though I reminded him that he would get two weeks off soon, for Christmas, and that every summer he gets three months of vacation, he didn't want to hear those words of comfort. 

Son: I don't want to go to school.
Me: Really? Would you rather go work in the salt mines?
Son: Yes! Because it's not school!
Me: Lots of kids around the world would love to go to school but they have to work instead.
Son: (rolls eyes) I know that! You always say that!

The Teenager was laying on the sofa, watching "Mockingjay, Part I" and taking her temperature.  On Friday she'd come down with a virus and was running a fever, so no school for her.  She was actually mad about not being able to go to school; she was moaning about makeup work and missing band practice.  Her brother went over to her and gave her a kiss.

Teenager: What are you doing? Eww, get away from me!
Brother: I want to get sick like you.  Breathe on me.
Teenager: No, you don't want to get sick! Being sick is awful!
Brother: But you don't have to go to school.
Teenager:  MOM! MOOOMMMMMM!!!!! Tell him to leave me ALONE!

I kept reminding him that school isn't all bad.  He likes a lot of things about school- his robotics class, his robotics class teacher, his regular teacher, seeing his friends, and walking to school.  It's really one or two things about school that he doesn't like, and everything else is fine.  However, he hyper-focuses on those few things, and not all the other things that he enjoys about going to school.

Me: What would you do if you didn't  have school?
Son: I would build Legos and watch Making Fiends and be with my friends!
Me: But all your friends would be at school.
Son: I would go help them escape! And we would go have fun!

Yes, he has quite the imagination, the little darling.  I suppose that I have to admit that quite a few of us- even us grownups- feel that way at least a little about going to school or work after a few days off.  I like to sleep in, hang out around the house, and do what I want (although since I'm a grownup, "do what I want" really means "get caught up on the to-do list of boring chores").   Alas, duty calls for us all.  Even reluctant middle-school students.