"I will last you some eight year"

 

"Look where my abridgment comes"

 Declamas belle, causas agis, Attice, belle

historias bellas, carmina bella facis,

componis belle mimos, epigrammata belle,

bellus grammaticus, bellus es astrologus,

et belle cantas et saltas, Attice, belle,

bellus es arte Lyra, bellus es arte pilae.

Nil bene cum facias, facias tamen omnia belle,

vis dicam quid sis? Magnus es ardelio.

Martial, Epigrams Book 2 no. 7

"You speak beautifully, you argue beautifully, Roy,

you tell lovely stories, you write beautiful music,

you entertain handsomely, you tell funny anecdotes,

you know your grammar, you know your astronomy,

you sing and move beautifully, Roy,

you play your instrument beautifully, you run beautifully.

Although you done of it well, you do it beautifully,

would you like me to say what you are? You're a consummate dabbler."

"a Monday morning, 'twas then indeed"

I’ll be thrilled when my boys are back home. I’ll be eager to see them, to hear about their time at camp, and to play foursquare at the playground across the road with them.

But what a great morning this has been.

I didn’t have to cajole anyone into starting school.

The only person I made breakfast for was myself.

I’ve been reading on the pergola for hours without being interrupted once.

I did a warm-up in the living room and no one complained that it was too loud.

I haven’t even heard Axel F even once.

No one has begged me to take them swimming.

No one has blamed me for the weather being a disappointment.

The only dirty laundry I’ve picked up has been my own.

I folded a couple of blankets, and they’ve stayed folded for hours.

I poured a glass of of sparkling water and no one came running to ask if they could have some too.

I’m going to go for a run in a few minutes, and I won’t even have to confirm that there is an extra adult in the house.

But the most incredible thing of all…

…every single light in the house, at 1:00 on a sunny afternoon in July, is turned off.