Overheard on the way home from picking up a friend of John’s for a playdate this morning:

> My dad is old. Yeah.

> Who are you cheering for in the Ukraine vs. Russia war?

> I suspect that more gas stations burn down than houses, barns and hotels combined.

> I learned to skate on the exact ice where the miracle happened.

> We won’t see her at school, remember. Oh, right.

They hung up their coats when they came in, and since then I haven’t glimpsed them. From upstairs I’ve heard a lot of loud banging, a little bit of chanting (USA! USA! USA!), exultant cheering, and the music that the Middlebury basketball team warms up to before games (here’s a sample).

I often wonder if being the mother of a son will allow me to finally understand boys. Their friendships and secrets and loves and reasons have been very mysterious to me since I was a teenager. So far, I haven’t figured out very much, but being a bystander is very entertaining.