National Treasure

We watched "National Treasure" last night and were reminded that the sequel will be released next month. We really enjoyed the first one and look forward to the second one. We really enjoyed watching the reality show that was based on the movie (was it "Treasure Hunters"?)--the clues were interesting and gave us the added bonus of American History lessons. I hope they bring back the reality show again--I enjoyed it much more than "Survivor" because of the historical clues and challenges. We all really look forward to seeing the sequel to "National Treasure"--finally, a movie the whole family, including teenagers, can enjoy! :)

Generation MySpace

I found this book at the library and have enjoyed reading it. I like the term "social networking"--it really is amazing how much socializing today's teens do online these days. My teens both spend a lot of time online: email, chatting, IM, MySpace, YouTube, etc. I try to stay as informed as possible about what is going on in their "internet world." It is important to protect them, but we can't completely shelter them from all of the bad things out there. I just want to do my best to keep them safe. Every time I hear about a teen who was harmed by someone they met on the internet, I cringe. I just hope they use good judgment at all times when on line. We talk to them about "safe sex"--we need to talk to them about "safe surfing" just as much. I think the internet is awesome in a lot of ways so I don't want to ban them from the internet--but I do want to keep them in a safe environment when they are online. It is definitely a challenge!

American Music Awards

We watched the American Music Awards the other night--I think it is cool that my teens like the same music as I do (for the most part). We all agreed that Chris Brown gave the most awesome performance--he is amazing! We liked a lot of the performers and were happy with most of the awards. It was a great night of television! Of course, I was a bit disappointed that Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters weren't on, but the amazing performances made up for it. I predict that Chris Brown has a really great future ahead of him! :)

Gas Prices and Travel

I filled up with gas to prepare for our trip: $3.01 per gallon! My total was over $70!! How in the world are my teens ever going to afford to drive anywhere when they finally get their own cars? It is outrageous! Of course, the cost of EVERYTHING has gone up drastically from when I was a teenager--movies, meals at restaurants, clothes and shoes, etc.--even with part-time jobs, I'm not sure how my teens will be able to afford to go out much if I make them pay for everything themselves. Still, I expect them to learn how to earn their own way in life as they age and mature. I hope things work out for them so they can be financially responsible for themselves when the time comes--when they reach adulthood and go out into the world to make their own lives, it will be a struggle, but I hope they use their skills and good work ethics to provide for themselves and their future families. It isn't easy to make it in today's economy, but I hope hard work and a good education will see them through. Until then, it sure will be a strain on the family whenever they want to fill their cars with gas and go somewhere with their friends or dates--we may be entering one of the most expensive stages so far!

Packing Their Belongings

My teens both received huge suitcases a few years ago--they needed them for all of their upcoming trips because they always bring a lot of stuff. They are in the process of packing now, and it amazes me how much they always want to bring along with them. Lots of clothes, plus a lot of other "stuff" that they think they will need. They usually end up bringing a lot more than I do, that's for sure. I think these suitcases will last them until they leave home for college (or whatever plans they make for after graduation). I can see it now--their stuffed suitcases, a backseat full of all their worldly possessions, driving off into the sunset to start their own lives--it is hard to imagine, but this is right around the corner for them. As I watch them pack their things now, I see visions of that day in the future--it will be bittersweet for me. I will miss them terribly, but I will be excited to see them go (for them AND me). I am currently reading a book called "Beyond the Mommy Years"--it is about preparing for the day they leave and the role of "Mommy" changes forever. It is already changing--I'm not the same mother now that I was when they were younger. The role is always transforming. One day in the near future, I will be "mother of two adults"--and that role will look nothing like the role I am in now. I want to enjoy this stage now, "mother of two teenagers," as much as I can because I know it is a very short-lived role. I was "mother of babies," "mother of toddlers," "mother of preschoolers," and "mother of young children"--these stages put together lasted a very long time. But the stage of "mother of teenagers" doesn't last quite as long--just when I get adjusted to this new stage, it will be time to move on to the next one. Watching them pack their belongings now makes me think about the day they will pack everything they own--I am truly glad that the time has not yet arrived, but I am preparing myself everyday for the inevitable. They will grow up--they will leave--and I will enter a new stage in life. It won't be all bad!

Thanksgiving Break

My teens have the entire week of Thanksgiving out of school this year. We will spend some time at home and some time with family. We will travel for part of the week to see my in-laws. My son is already complaining that he will miss his friends while he is gone--he wishes we were staying in town all week. My daughter expressed some of the same sentiments. Thanksgiving with teenagers--I remember it well from their point-of-view. While it is supposed to be a time for families, teenagers usually want to spend more time with their friends than with their families. At least they can stay in touch through the internet. I predict that many teens will spend most of the holidays online with friends--they will have to be coaxed away from their computers and forced to socialize with their family members for at least a few minutes. Holidays sure do change when they hit adolescence! :)

Double Dating

My son went on his first date last night!! He arranged everything with his girlfriend, his best friend, and his best friend's girlfriend--they planned a double date. Everyone was dropped off at the movie theater--they went to the movie together--after the movie, they walked to Starbucks for coffee and dessert--everyone was picked up from there. He says everything went well--he knows how to be respectful to girls and I trust him about that--he had a nice time and so did his new girlfriend. WOW--my son is dating now!!--He will be 15 in a few weeks--another year of dropping him off for dates, I guess--but if one of his friends can drive before him, I am sure he will ask permission to ride with his friend instead of getting dropped of by me--kind of a scary thought to be entering that stage, but it IS part of growing up. I hope everything continues to go well--I am sure that he will always remember his official first date! :)

Delicious Desserts

So this is what my daughter ended up making for her Thanksgiving Feast--two Oreo pies. She did it all herself without my help--yeah, I know--it's "no bake"--but still, she planned it, added some things to the recipe on the box according to something she had found on the internet, and made it herself. And guess what?--they were delicious!! She had some leftover after school and I just had to taste it--yummy!! Not exactly traditional Thanksgiving food, but still VERY good! Good job! :)

Do You Like Me: Check Yes or No

In all fairness to my son, this is NOT how he went about asking a girl at school on a date--I just thought the whole idea was cute and reminded me of these child-like ways of doing things. He came home and announced that: a) he had a girlfriend and b) they were going on a double date tomorrow and c) can he have a ride to the movie theater--oh, and d) can he borrow some money for the date. He has had girlfriends before, but this is the first time he has ever planned a date--staying after school for a dance is not the same thing as actually planning a date. So--now, he has a girlfriend AND he is planning dates--too bad he can't drive yet, but I don't mind dropping him off and picking him up--this is kind of exciting and kind of scary at the same time--for him AND me!! So now my son is truly entering the world of dating--AAHH!!!

Marathon Grocery Shopping

My daughter wanted to make something to bring to her Thanksgiving Feast at school. She had several ingredients and several recipes--she made several lists of ingredients according to each recipe. We went to one grocery store and began looking for ingredients--they were out of several of them. She changed her mind about what to make---we looked for new ingredients--the store was out of some of the needed items. We drove to another store--found some of the items but not all of them. We went to one final grocery store to get the last few items. What a pain in the butt--I guess a lot of people are buying things for Thanksgiving already and the grocery stores are having trouble keeping their shelves stocked. Anyway, after we did all of this marathon shopping, she ended up choosing something very simple and easy although it was still difficult to find everything she needed. We returned home and she began preparing her recipes--she was proud of herself for doing it all alone. I'm proud of her, too--I just wish it wouldn't have been so hard to find all of the ingredients! :)

A Balanced Life

I want to brag about my teens and how proud I am of them--they seem to be doing well with the balancing of things in their lives. They are working hard and doing well in school, and they are living very active and productive social lives as well. So far, I have not seen them get too out of balance in these arenas--their active social lives have not affected their grades. I am very glad to see this--I was worried about it in the past, but I think they are learning to be much more independent about this than they used to be. They never really were "over scheduled kids"--I made sure they had plenty of "down time" to just hang out and be kids when they were younger. Now that they are older and maintain their own social calendars, they are doing well with planning things in a way that does not conflict--everything is balancing out quite well. They are living "balanced lives"---that makes things run much smoother! :)

Hours and Hours of Homework

Both my son and daughter had an unusual amount of homework this week. I guess the teachers were trying to get in some assignments before Thanksgiving Break. One night, in particular, I think they both were working for SEVERAL hours on some projects--they looked exhausted by the time they finished. I know that the older they are, the more homework they will have--but still, they work hard all day and then work hard well into the night--it seemed like a bit of overkill this week. But all of the hard work IS paying off--they are still maintaining their good grades and I am proud of them. At least they get some time off next week to rest and recouperate before returning after Thanksgiving. Then it will be full-speed ahead for the next few week until Christmas vacation. BTW--there have been some changes in our moving plans AGAIN--looks like we will still be here during Christmas and not in Florida yet--this is driving us crazy!! Oh, well--when it is meant to be, it will all work out. My teens seem to be okay with the idea and even said they could wait until next summer! At the rate things are going, it may take that long to get us there!! Anyway--they are working hard and things are going well here until we do make the final move to our new lives. I guess things aren't so bad while we are waiting--I'm just ready to close one chapter in our lives and start a new one. Patience is NOT my strong suit! :)

Working the Concession Stand

My son had a fundraiser for one of his clubs at school the other day. They sold refreshments at the concession stand during an afterschool event. That reminded me of my high school days--remember those concession stands during football games and other events? I think the main foods sold were hot dogs, nachos, pickles, soft drinks, hot chocolate, and candy of all kinds. Real nutritious stuff, huh? But how well would they sell organic or vegetarian foods?--probably not too well. It's no wonder why a majority of Americans are overweight and in bad health--look at what we eat: fast food, concessions at sporting events, all-you-can-eat buffets--why do we do this to ourselves? Oh, and think about how many fundraisers our kids have that revolve around unhealthy food--selling things like candy, cookie dough, doughnuts, etc.--and we BUY this stuff to support them in their efforts--meanwhile, we are stuck with lots of food that is bad for us, yet we often eat it anyway so it doesn't go to waste. I am just as guilty as everyone else--I've had my share of Girl Scout cookies and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, believe me! Still, I like it when there are fundraisers that DON'T involve food--car washes, gift wrap sales, providing services to others, sponsoring marathons and other active events--those are MUCH better than selling junk food. Oh, well--my son sold junk food to raise money, and they DID raise about $150--so I know it works--I just wish they would organize some HEALTHY ways to raise money for their clubs! :)

Books About Dating

My daughter recently checked out both of these books from the library: "The Boyfriend List" and "The Boy Book." I think she might have a condition known as "boys on the brain"!! :) She is definitely head over heels and knee deep in "boy craziness"!! :) She has a HUGE crush on a boy at school and that is just about all she talks about lately. Everyday she comes in from school just gushing about what that boy said or did--she's got it bad! It is sweet to see her so excited about all of this because it is still so innocent--I'm just scared about the NEXT phase--real dating issues, broken hearts, and all that goes with it. Part of being a teenager is dealing with these issues--it WILL happen and I have to learn how to deal with it as a parent. One day I will look back on these early and innocent days with longing! :) I'll try to keep my cool as I watch her go through the later stages, but it won't be easy. Sweet and innocent crushes--aren't they great! :) I hope things stay in THAT stage for a long, long time! :)

The Dating Game

My son is slowly but surely entering the dating world. He is actually making arrangements to meet a girl at the movies this weekend--I think his friend is also meeting a date there, so I guess it will be a double date. They are nearly 15 and not driving yet, so this means parents will be dropping off and picking up. I don't know if things are all set yet--I am prepared to be asked for a ride, though. At 15, I was going on car dates with boys who could drive--I was one of the youngest students in my class, so I was doing things at 15 that my peers were doing at 16. Plus, I almost always liked boys a year or two older than me--so I was dating 16 and 17 year olds when I was 15. I guess there is a chance that my son would want to ride places with friends who are a year or two older and driving--I know that this is a very important rite of passage, but it still is very hard to feel safe about letting my son ride with his friends. I cannot believe that we are at this stage now--learning to drive, riding with friends who drive, going on dates--scary stuff, you know? My son is fairly shy, but I think he is finally getting confident enough to make those tough calls to ask girls out--this is the beginning of "The Dating Game" for him. I know girls sometimes ask guys out, but, for the most part, a guy still has to really put himself on the line when he asks a girl out. This cartoon shows that anxiety quite well! :) I don't know how the girl's parents feel about everything, but I am one nervous mom when it comes to this stuff. Maybe it is because I have both a son and daughter--I love having the opportunity to see things from both sides in these matters. So here's to the beginning of a very scary but also exciting time--the dating life of teenagers. HELP! :}

Old Yearbooks

My daughter and her friends had fun looking through some old yearbooks today. They laughed at some of their photos and talked about how cute others were. Now that they are in middle school, looking at things from their elementary years seems so long ago to them! :) They have changed SO much in just a few short years--I can see why it feels like a lifetime ago to them. Now they are looking forward to future yearbooks from middle school and high school--those will be so different and full of many more activities. They are ready to grow up--but I wish they wouldn't be in such a hurry about it! :)

The Axe Effect

My son uses a lot of products such as Tag and Axe--he wants to smell good and fit in. The other day, he sprayed way too much Axe and I wasn't sure what to say. I gently let him know that I am glad he wants to smell good, but that he may have overdone it a bit. Meanwhile, I nearly choked on the fumes! He decided to shower and start over--this time with a little less Axe. Much better! Anyway, apparently Axe is a very popular thing with teen boys these days. My opinion: they smell fine, but go easy on it! :)

Above the Influence

Peer Pressure--a very tough thing for teenagers. I really like these "Above the Influence" ads--they really cool! My daughter recently made a new friend--that new friend did some things that my daughter knew was wrong--my daughter came home and told me about it and said that she was scared and didn't want to hang around the new friend anymore. I was proud of her for not following negative peer influences. I don't know if she will always handle things this way, but I hope she will develop a strong sense of self and stand up for right and wrong. I am truly proud of her for resisting peer pressure in this situation.

Fish Tank

My son now has a fish tank in his room. I never really wanted to worry about taking care of an aquarium, so this is definitely HIS responsibility. He seems to enjoy watching his fish--not as much as he enjoys his dog, but he does enjoy them. I don't exactly know how we are going to move the fish and fish tank, but he will have to figure it out somehow. I guess he is learning a sense of responsibility by having pets--and he often does pet-sitting for neighbors when they are out of town, too. It's his thing, not mine--but that's ok! :)

Teenagers and Phones

Since my teens don't have their own cell phones yet, they tend to use our land line phone a lot. My daughter spent almost an entire day talking to her friends this past weekend. Now THAT reminds me of MY teens--I was ALWAYS on the phone and my parents were ALWAYS complaining about it. Back then there was no call waiting--callers would just get a busy signal. Guess what--I HATE call waiting because it always interrupts my phone calls, so I canceled it years ago! Most people have my cell number, too, so if they can't reach me at home they call my cell. So any callers that called the other day heard a busy signal--some called me on my cell phone, others just called some other time or gave up. Is it time to get another land line--nah, I think the answer in today's world is to get them cell phones--we just have to choose a good plan that won't allow them to run up the bill. Until then, people who call our house have a good chance of hearing that dreaded busy signal sound!

Parent-Teen Communication

Sometimes things get strained around our house--it isn't always easy for parents to communicate with their teenagers. Lately, we feel that our teens have been "telling us what they are going to do" instead of "asking permission to do something." When conversations start with, "I am going..." instead of "Can I go..."--we feel that there is a problem. The other day, this happened--we denied permission even though it really wasn't asked of us--and the attitude was something along the lines of "WHAT?! How dare you say no!"--not those words, but that attitude. We had long discussions about the proper way to ask for permission and the respectful way to speak to us--we HOPE it worked. They did NOT get to do what they neglected to ask us to do--a few days later, they nicely asked permission to do something else. We THINK they get it now, but stayed tuned for more updates on this matter.

Movies With Friends

The other night my teens were invited to a mutual friend's house to watched DVDs that had been rented. Apparently, one of the movies was "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry." They went over there and watched it--said it was really funny. It's unusual to find movies that they both like these days. She likes chick flicks and he likes action flicks. However, sometimes a happy medium can be found with comedy flicks--funny is funny, male or female! :) They seemed to enjoy spending time with friends and watching movies--I am glad that they finally enjoyed doing SOMETHING together--that is a rare thing lately!

Homemade Soup

BTW--this is what I made for dinner the other day: homemade beef and vegetable soup. I have to brag on myself a bit and say that it was really delicious! It was definitely better than burgers, tacos, or fried chicken! I don't know why my teens preferred fast food over this--it was MUCH better. They ate a lot of it before and after that fast food conflict, but they just didn't want it that day--mostly because we had eaten fast food routinely before those meetings/events. Anyway--we enjoyed it and I will make it again--and they may have to skip fast food next week, too! :)

Too Much Fast Food!

Often when we are driving to and from places and have little time to go home for dinner, we grab some fast food. We kind of got into a habit of going on certain days before certain events or activities. The other day, we were home before going out again and I had a perfectly good meal available, but my teens still wanted fast food. I said no, and they were very disappointed. My daughter finally agreed to eat at home, but my son decided to just skip dinner because he wasn't "in the mood" for what I had at home. I refused to stop at any fast food places on the way to his meeting--I made it clear that he could eat at home if he was hungry. After his meeting, he made himself a sandwich at home. I'm just burned out on fast food lately--I'll be making more home-cooked meals on the weekend that we can warm up during the week. I'm not completely against fast food, but only in moderation!

Military Recruiters at High School

My son brought home information from the Army and Marines the other day. He is only a freshman, but the military recruiters at the high school talked to anyone who would listen. I am trying to decide how I feel about it--there are many military veterans in our family, and they are very proud to have served. They tout the benefits of things like the GI Bill and VA loans. They say that the structure of the military truly turns boys to men (only male family members have served). My son has expressed some interest--he definitely has plans for college, but he is interested in possibly serving in the military first. I will be proud of him no matter what he does. The only thing is this: it is now wartime, and the Army and Marines are looking for soldiers to deploy to Iraq. Do I want my son to go to Iraq?--no. But I do think we need more troops HERE in the USA protecting us and providing homeland security. My son has also expressed an interest in becoming a police officer--another noble way to serve and protect. He also has shown interest in the legal profession, engineering, computer graphics, and music. I don't know which direction he will choose, but I do know this--it is HIS decision, not mine. Part of him growing up and becoming a man is to stand up for what he believes and follow his passions and dreams. I think it is deplorable for parents to try to impose their dreams on their children--parents who push their kids into certain professions or other life choices--that is just wrong. THEY have to live their OWN life--and they need to plan their own path, NOT follow someone else's. Having said that--if my son goes into the military, becomes a police officer, or is somehow in harm's way, I will have the utmost respect for him and I will be proud--but I WILL worry about him if he is in dangerous situations. As a man, he will have to make those choices. As his mother, I will love him and be proud of him no matter what path he chooses.

Pimples, Zits, and Acne

My daughter was very embarrassed because she had her first pimple the other day, and it was right in the middle of her forehead. She was mortified! Her brother has tackled acne the past few years, and now she is beginning to have breakouts, too. She immediately began to cleanse her face with Stridex and put acne medication on it. I tried to convince her to leave it alone after that, but she was obsessed with it and kept trying to scrub it away. That just made it redder and more noticeable! Finally, I convinced her to try to leave it alone--and a few days later, it was gone. I don't know if she will have acne like her brother or an occasional pimple, but it can really wreak havoc on a teen's self-esteem. My son's acne seems a LOT better lately--I think he has passed the worst part and is beginning to outgrow it--it never was a severe case. I never really had acne as a teen--just an occasional pimple--and I STILL get those!! :( Actually, I had one when my daughter did, so I think she listened to me because I was the "voice of experience." Darn those clogged pores!! Anyway, she was SO happy to wake up one day and see that it was gone--she felt so much better about herself. Amazing how things like that can truly hurt a teen's inner self esteem. Thanks, Stridex--you really helped!

Teens and Sleep

Since they didn't have school today because of a teacher's workday, my son slept really late. During the summer/weekends/holidays, he often stays up very late and sleeps way into the afternoon. During school, he goes to his room at a decent hour, but I don't think he actually goes to sleep until much later. He gets up for school just fine, but he always appears tired in the mornings. He makes up for it all on the weekends and on days off of school--he then sleeps most of the day. Studies have shown that teenagers really do need more sleep than adults--the major growth spurts and brain development rely on a rested and healthy body. I think my son get enough sleep overall--and maybe a bit too much, although I don't really know exactly how many hours of true sleep he gets each night. He seems to be healthy and he does not seem sleep deprived, so I guess I won't worry. Soon he will be grown and living a busy life--grabbing a few hours of sleep whenever he can. He should enjoy these teen years where he is allowed so much free time to sleep--it won't last forever! :)

Freaky Friday

My teens were out of school today for a teacher's workday. My daughter slept late, then her friend came over and they watched movies. One movie they watched was "Freaky Friday." I found myself watching along, too--I really like this movie! It makes me keenly aware of the differences between parents and teenagers--and how we look at life COMPLETELY differently. Still, finding the commonality between parents and teens is the key to communication, so you just have to try to find SOME common ground. I think Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan did a great job portraying the "other side." Too bad Lindsey couldn't stay the cute teen she was in this movie--that girl turned out to be a parents' worst nightmare, didn't she? We won't go into all of that right now--Linds isn't the ONLY girl who began as a cute, innocent teen and went completely awry!! I enjoy watching these girls in their younger, innocent days--if only we could turn back time! Anyway--cute movie, great for parents and teens to watch together (at least mothers and daughters). So, thanks to movies like this, I am inspired to try to see things from my teens' perspective--I try very hard to remember what it was like to be a teenager before automatically going into "mother mode." "Freaky Friday" is a fun flick to watch with teens! :)

Trombone Music

Although my son is not in the marching band this year, he does still practice his trombone at home. I am glad that he has not given up on his talent just because he wasn't able to be in the band this year. With our upcoming move and financial issues, we weren't able to commit to the expensive and time consuming demands of high school marching band. He wants to do it next year, though, so hopefully we will be settled in and prepared by then. Until then, it is good to hear him practice--it confirms that the expenses incurred musically so far are well worth it. He is a very talented musician! :)

Secret Crush

My daughter has a HUGE crush on a boy at school. She has been drawing hearts and writing their names together for weeks now. Until recently, she has kept her secret crush to herself and felt too shy to do much about it. The other day, she told one of her friends and showed her the heart drawings. Eventually, the boy saw some of the drawings--my daughter was embarrassed at first but later was glad to finally get her crush out in the open. As it turns out, he had a crush on her, too! So now, they both "like each other"--still very innocent at this point, but now I have to worry about what comes next. She just turned 13--there is SO much to learn about dating and the world of boys!! Her dad has said that she is not allowed to have boyfriends yet or go on dates--not even parent-supervised dates. She keeps begging him to ease up a bit about this--she is "Daddy's little girl" so he isn't about to ease up on her about dating and boys. As her mother, I also worry about these things--however, I remember what it was like to be a teenage girl. My dating life (at least boyfriend/kissing/supervised dating life) began when I was 14. Everything stayed casual and fairly innocent for a while--it was neat to have a boyfriend, write notes to each other, hold hands, sneak a few kisses every now and then. Later, when it progressed to car dating/making out/"going together"/"breaking up"--all of the ups and downs of teen love--THAT is the stage that worries me. I wonder if the first stage--the more innocent stage--is delayed, does that mean the later stages occur later, too? I don't know--some girls just jump right into the dating scene full force. However, I wonder if letting her begin the innocent stage automatically opens the door to further stages. The truth is, we can forbid her to do things, but we cannot control her feelings--if she likes a boy and he likes her, what can we do about that other than say: you can't talk on the phone to him and definitely can't meet him anywhere. How much control can we REALLY have about this? Right now, it is all innocent and kind of cute--she is all smiles and just looks at his pictures and melts! :) But what is next?--and when? We cannot deny that she is maturing and this is very much part of that--we cannot keep her an innocent little girl who doesn't notice boys. She began commenting about cute boys around 9 years old--this is the first time she has been brave enough to actually share her feelings with the boy. It took a while for this all to come to fruition--I just hope it takes a long time for these innocent crushes to progress to love and dating. One day, my daughter will be a grown woman who will fall in love, get married, have kids, etc.--I will be very happy for her during those stages, but I would LOVE to see her go VERY slow between this innocent crush stage and those later stages. I'm sharing her smiles right now--and I will be there for her when she sheds tears over boys--and I will try to guide her through the dating scene as she matures. But for now, lets just enjoy this sweet innocent crush stage for as long as possible! :)

Clean Up and Maintenance

My son's mountain bike club spent a weekend cleaning up and maintaining the trail that they ride. I am glad to see that they not only use the space, but they are taking the responsibility to take care of it, too. With all of the latest information and publicity about global warming and taking care of our environment, I am glad to see this generation getting involved and doing something about it. Hopefully they will become adults who truly care about ecological matters. I would love to see their generation and later generations take better care of the world than past generations have done. We should love the earth and take care of it properly--I am happy to see my son participate in the effort to do just that.

Mischevious Neighbors

My daughter and her friend were outside the other night when some new neighborhood teens approached them. They talked a bit, then one of the new girls suggested that they play a game. When they asked what kind of game, the answer was "Ding Dong Ditch." My naive daughter and her friend didn't know what they were talking about--these new girls said to watch them. These new girls rang the doorbell of a neighbor and ran away. They ran toward my daughter and her friend, and they all ran together to hide. My daughter and her friend said that they were scared and didn't know what to do. When the neighbor whose doorbell was rung confronted the girls, they all began pointing fingers at each other. They ALL were in trouble even though only some of them participated--a perfect opportunity to teach "guilt by association." I told my daughter--once she ran, she was lumped into the group of trouble makers. If she had separated herself from the group, came home, or even talked to the neighbor about what happened instead of running--if she had avoided joining the group, she would be considered innocent. By joining a group--even if only some of the group is participating--they ALL will be blamed. Thankfully, this issue was minor--but it did bring to the forefront all of the possible situations my teens may face in the future. One big one: a group of teens hanging out--one or a few do something illegal--the police come--the entire group is blamed/arrrested/suffer the consequences--GUILT BY ASSOCIATION--its a HUGE thing for teens because their peers mean so much to them. They HAVE to learn to stand up for themselves and NOT follow the crowd--especially when they are being pressured to do something wrong. I HOPE my teens get this message--I am glad it was a SMALL issue that brought the subject into our lives and I HOPE we don't ever have to deal with a bigger, more serious version of this life lesson. Parenting teenagers is TOUGH!!

Teens and Cars

This actually is about what I drive, not what my teens drive--at least for now. We have had our minivan for 9 years now. It has a LOT of miles on it, has many things wrong with it, and is on its "last leg." I have grown tired of the minivan--it was my "soccer mom" vehicle and we have all outgrown it. I dream of driving a red convertible Mustang one day soon! :) When it comes to my teenagers, they will soon enter the driving years, and they HATE the idea of driving a minivan!! It reminds me of MY teens--when my Toyota Celica was broken down, I had to drive my parents station wagon!! My son would love to learn to drive on a Mustang. If and when he gets his own car, he would like an older sportscar--maybe an older Mustang. My daughter loves the new Volkswagon Beetle. Our family's future in the world of cars is about to change drastically--I don't think there is another minivan or an SUV in our future. Now we are moving into the "cool car stage." But it sure is hard to be happy in our old minivan while we wait! :)

Free Frosty Coupon

My daughter had received a coupon for a free Wendy's Frosty on Halloween, so today we went to redeem it. The look on her face when she saw the tiny cup was priceless! :) The coupon clearly states that the free Frosty is only 6 ounces, but the drawing implies that it is a normal small size. My daughter must have expected it to be much larger--she laughed loudly when she was handed this tiny little cup! :) Still--free is free, and she said it was good--but then she wanted to BUY one that was a TRUE small size. I let her buy a 99 cent small one--it was MUCH larger than her tiny free one. It reminded me of Baskin-Robbins free tastings--most people end up buying a cone after tasting a tiny bit. So the free Frosty reeled us in and got us to make a purchase--good marketing, Wendy's! :)

Thursday Night Tag Team

My son has meetings every Thursday night with one of his clubs from high school. These meetings usually run from about 6:30 to 9:30 pm--he needs a ride to and from these meetings every Thursday night. His Dad and I both like to watch our favorite shows on Thursday night and have figured out a good way for us to watch our shows and provide rides for our son. I drop him off at 6:30 and return home--we eat dinner--I watch "Ugly Betty" and he watches "Survivor"--he leaves to pick our son up--I watch "Grey's Anatomy." Eveyone gets to see their favorite shows, our son gets his rides, and everyone is happy. Our "tag team"--I drop off, you pick up--works well for us--we do this on other days as well. Still, I find myself really looking forward to the day that our son can drive himself to and from these places! :)

Shopping at Staples

My daughter and I went to Staples to buy supplies for printing our digital photos. Stores like this are almost like candy stores to us--we always see lots of things we would love to have. First we looked at photo and scrapbooking supplies, then we looked at digital cameras and printers. Next, we moved on to cell phones, PDAs, computers, and other technology. So many things to buy--so little money! :( We traded our old ink cartridges for new ones ($3.00 off for each), bought the least expensive photo paper we could find, and checked out. Maybe one day we can purchase some of these things that we drool over--until then, we can look at them every now and then at Staples and dream of one day owning them ourselves. If only "The Easy Button" applied to financial issues, we'd be great! :)

Halloween With Teens pt. 2

My son attended several events with his clubs from school where he passed out candy to children and helped with fall festivals and other events. He brought home these candy bags and shared some leftover candy with his sister. They also refilled them with more candy when they helped the neighborhood kids at our block party and Trick-or-Treating. Later they sorted it all out and tossed aside the rejects (things they didn't like)--they gave some of that candy to some neighborhood kids. And I have to admit--I did sneak of few things for myself, too! :) I guess everyone likes candy, no matter how old they are! :) So my teens participated in Halloween this year--but I don't know how things will be once we move. This may be their last time--it will be their last time in this neighborhood. It's been fun and we will miss it, but we look forward to doing some new and different things in the future. Happy Halloween! :)

Halloween With Teens

My daughter is 13 and my son is almost 15, so I didn't think Halloween would be a big deal with us this year. I was wrong! In our neighborhood, there are many teenagers that continue to wear costumes and help the smaller children as they walk around the neighborhood Trick-or-Treating. There is a neighborhood block party where everyone gathers beforehand--there is food, candy, games, etc. My teens wore costumes and helped the kids at the block party, then they walked around the neighborhood with some of them. After all of that, you think they are going to come home empty-handed? No way! They both brought home some candy--almost as much as when they were younger. Apparently, our neighbors welcome the teens' help and reward them with treats for their services.

This is very different from when I was a teenager--I distinctly remember my last time to go Trick-or-Treating. I was 12 and my best friend was 13. We both dressed up as members of the band KISS. We were met with the same response at every house we approached--"Aren't you girls a bit old to be Trick-or-Treating?" Of course, my friend was much more developed than I was and she truly looked like a grown woman parading around asking for candy--but still, were we too old, really? I tell my teens about this story every year--they shrug it off and still go out on Halloween night--I think our neighborhood attitude and events are quite different than when I was their age and that makes a big difference. Still, I keep thinking--I wonder if they will want costumes this year and if they will go out or stay in and pass out candy--and every year they say that they will stay home but end up going out because their friends do. I wonder if this will change when we move--we will probably be living in an apartment, so that will make a difference, too. I THINK, though I don't know, but I THINK that THIS year was truly our very last Halloween where my teens wear costumes and go Trick-or-Treating (helping kids or not)--but I could be wrong! :) We've already said goodbye to most of our seasonal and holiday traditions from their childhood--this seems to be the last one to go. At first I was sad and missed the "good old days"--now I am truly ready for a completely new way of doing things. I welcome change--bring it on! :)