This year 2 of our kids are in Middle School. Because I am Old. So every morning Sweet Pea (8th grade now, God help us) and Pickles (6th grade, how is this possible). Every morning they leave together holding hands and skip off to the bus stop like a modern day Norman Rockwell painting. Or something like that. One morning a week or two into the school year, Pickles was hoisting his backpack onto his back and asked me,
Pickles: Mom! Can you pleeeeaaaasssseee ask Sweet Pea not to throw my backpack into a tree at the bus stop?
Sweet Pea: (Ears perking up) Hhhmmmph?
Me: I would think that would go without saying.
Pickles: Evidently not.
Me: Sweet Pea, backpacks are not for throwing in trees.
Sweet Pea (to Pickles): What happens at the bus stop stays at the bus stop.
And they were off skipping to the bus hand in hand. Or something like that.