SINS OF THE MOTHER

"So Mom, can I go toilet papering?" my frisky freshman son asked me the second last night's Homecoming pep rally ended.

"Uh...."

That's all I could think to say...I knew the question would be coming, but I still wasn't prepared.

Technically, I couldn't stand the thought of my little darling contributing to the naughty, albeit traditional, stringing of toity paper hither and yon about town the night before the big football game....and yet, TPing was a staple in my misspent youth....and he knew it.

He'd heard me talk about it...not at any great length. But still, he knew of my secret sin -- though I don't think my dad ever caught on to my late-night slumber party shenanigans...

"Who are you going with?" I asked, sternly.

As if the group of future prison lifers he was about to run with made a difference in my decision. I mean, I knew who was going -- like half the student population, including the "darlings" of said student pop.

"OK, but don't do anything stupid (like there is anything about TPing that ISN'T stupid?) and be home by 10," I said.

He negotiated 10:30, I said OK, and off he went.]

And I felt sick.

I mean, I was sure I was condoing what could be the start of a license plate-making future for my one and only offspring.

Of course, back in the day, we never even entertained the idea of ASKING our parents if we could go TPing...we just did it. Under the cloak of really late-night/early morning darkness...like 2 a.m. -- in our PJs...

And none of us spent any time in jail...that I know of.

When he came home (at 10:15, mind you, so maybe he isn't destined for prison) I asked him how it went and he regaled me with stories of running and hiding and all the goofy stuff that goes along with TPing...and deep down inside I was laughing hysterically...it did bring back some pretty funny memories....

Like the time my friends and I went TPing and we accidentally locked the car keys in the trunk and had to remove the back seat in order to retrieve the keys and get the heck out of Dodge before we got caught after the "job".

I still have the pics. Somewhere...

Anyway...

It's going to be a long four years.