Gavin and I just ran to the store to drop a package at the Post Office and pick up a few things for dinner. On the way in, he said, “Wait! We’re going to Bales?” I said, “Yes, we’re going to Bales.” He did a little jump / fist pump action and said, “YES! Maybe you’ll get my sack.”

Huh.

Sack.

No idea what he was talking about.

Me: “Your sack?”

Gavin: “Yes, my sack.”

Me: “What’s that?”

Gavin: “My SACK. I decorated it at school.”

Now, because I am pretty much still 12, and have two brothers that use the term “sack” to describe man parts, and am still not getting what he’s talking about, I am  smirking. I told him I wasn’t sure what he meant. He said, “It’s brown or tan and like a bag you use to carry things.” Oh. Got it now. I have never, ever in my life called a grocery bag a sack, so I am chalking this one up to the local colloquialism schism that I fully expect to develop between my Portland-raised children and Philadelphia-raised Kenny and I. (On a separate note, my mother is probably appalled reading this because, as a nurse, she tried her very best to raise us to always use proper terminology to describe parts of the human anatomy. “Sack” definitely falls short on that one.)

As we shopped, he told me that they decorated sacks last week for Bales to “help people know about Earth Day. Which is today, Mom, in case you didn’t know.” I assured him that I knew it was Earth Day and that he could show me the sacks when we were checking out. I fully expected that I would not be able to find the one he decorated.

We started checking out and he was on his tip-toes looking for the decorated sacks. He spotted them and pointed them out. I told him they looked great. I also said we probably wouldn’t get his, because there are like 12 check out counters and each had a sizeable stack of sacks. (Yes, now he’s got me saying sacks. Dear heavens.)

My favorite part of all this is that when I asked him how school was last Thursday, he said the standard, “Good.” Did you do anything exciting? “No.” But, as soon as he heard we were going to Bales, it all came back to him and the sharing floodgates opened. Apparently, I need to do a better job of engaging him on a day-to-day basis – hahaha!

I happened to glance at the next register over.

Guess what I saw.

“GAVIN” in sloppy-ish, neat-ish Kindergarten scrawl, peeking out from under the first few bags.

Yes. It was his.

How’s that for dumb luck?

He was thrilled that I got his sack.

Happy Earth Day, everyone! 🙂

(P.S. If you like popcorn, seek out Pop Corners – they are AMAZING. You can see our popping out the top of the bag. Popping – see what I did there? Oy.)