This week, I am once again in Cleveland, Ohio. It is the beginning of our older son Nathan’s second year of college and I am here to help him get situated (more or less). As I normally do when away from home, I revisit a post about one of the boys. This one comes from a little over a year ago, during Nathan’s senior year in high school.

While this space is usually used to recount the utterances of our younger son, Sebastian, today the quip is from our older boy. Nathan now 18, is 6’4″, a senior in high school, and finds his parents to be extremely un-cool.

Nathan and I were in Austin to visit the University of Texas (where he has been accepted) and get a feel for the city a bit. As we approached the capitol building….

Nathan: “So that’s where Ted Cruz hangs out, eh?”

Me: “Um, no.”

Nathan: “What do you mean?”

Me; “What do you mean?”

Nathan: “Isn’t he one of our state senators?”

Me: “He is one of our state’s senators.”

Nathan: “That’s what I said.”

Me: “No you didn’t.”

Nathan: “Whatever. His office is in there, right?”

Me: “You’re kidding, right? That is the state capitol, it is for the Texas state government. Ted Cruz is a U.S. senator.”

Nathan: “Wait, so Texas has its own government?”

Me: “Please tell me you’re joking.”

Nathan: “So who works in there?”

Me: “Um, state senators and state representatives.”

Nathan: “Wow. Just like in Washington?”

Me: “More or less. Tell me you’re joking, please.”

Nathan: “I never knew! Is it like that in every state?”

Me: “Remind me to call your school on Monday.”

Nathan: “Why?”

Me: “To get a refund.”