I’m warning you, if you’re not in the mood to learn about my son, one of the best humans this world has ever seen, you should stop reading right now.

Oh good, you’re still here 🙂

My oldest son is 12. When I try to look at life through his eyes, I can still remember how I felt at his age. It’s not always fun but the good times are exhilarating.

Like first time love; something you’d never talk to your parents about, but at the same time, you can’t keep the happy off your face. (I’m only assuming this because he tortures his poor mom by not telling me anything. Ever. Even though I beg. A lot.)

It’s a new and sometimes magical time of discovering who you are and finding things that spark your interest.

We chose full remote learning during the pandemic. We’ve been extremely lucky that our younger boys have taken so well to it. Things haven’t been as easy with our eldest. He goes to class, but doesn’t give a flying flip about completing assignments.

By the time we caught on, he was failing and the missing work was piled up to the ceiling. His teachers graciously gave them time to hand in late assignments, so I sat over his shoulder while he did each one.

I was sure there were going to be tears and frustration. Nope, he completed them in less than 10 minutes each. There were questions that made my brain hurt, but he selected the correct answers with ease. I was more pissed off that he understood the work but was just too lazy to do it!

That night I said to PJ, “Some people are meant for school, some are not. He is not.”

He asked for a guitar for Christmas. We got him the cheapest one because the Petti boys are known to lose interest in things quickly. It was 3 days ago and he’s already taught himself how to play the beginning of Space Oddity.

He’s always been like that. If he’s interested in something, he’ll throw himself into it 100%. If he’s not interested, he simply refuses to do it – you know, like that pesky school work.

He’s been walking around in his underwear since Christmas strumming his guitar. Last night when he started making up silly songs, I forced him to watch old SNL YouTube videos of Adam Sandler performing The Hanukkah Song, Red Hooded Sweatshirt, and The Thanksgiving Song.

PJ joined us and put on Lunch Lady Land. We were all cracking up as Chris Farley, dressed as the lunch lady, danced romantically with Kevin Nealon as a giant Sloppy Joe.

I could tell by the end of the video he wanted us to get out of his room, but we forced him to watch one more SNL skit: Motivational Speaker, Matt Foley. (Fun fact: Bob Odenkirk created it.)

Howling. Dying. Doubled-over. That was all three of us as Farley hurled himself onto the coffee table and broke it into a million pieces.

I’m glad he thought it was funny and will remember it, because as the 3rd semester begins and all he wants to do is play his guitar, I’m going to scream in his face that if he doesn’t cut the shit and put in the work, he’s going to end up LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!!! (Even though I know it would never really happen because no matter what he chooses to do, he will be great ❤️)