Hidden Expenses

My son is using his cell phone minutes wisely, but he is incurring some extra hidden expenses regarding this upcoming field trip. Every few days, he says that he needs a few more dollars for this or that--and it is all related to the trip. It reminds me of the term--"being nickled and dimed to death." It isn't an outrageous amount, but it still is costing a lot more than we thought it would. Still, it is worth it--we think it will be a very good trip. He leaves this week--I think he is ready. I will worry about him every day that he is gone, but I hope he has fun. I just hope we don't end up paying an arm and a leg by the time the trip is over! :)

Money Jar

My daughter is collecting money to buy minutes for her cell phone. She has some money from Christmas left, and she put some money in that was given to her this month. As she receives change from things, I let her keep some for her jar. She has been doing chores and earning a little bit here and there. So far, she has about $27. The goal is to purchase a $50 card, so she still has a long way to go. It just isn't worth it to buy the $25 card--not enough minutes. And she doesn't want to wait until she has enough for the $100 card, either. When she has earned and saved enough for the $50 card, we will take her jar to the nearest Coinstar machine and redeem the change for bills. I hope she really appreciates the next phone card she gets--I THINK she will be more careful with her minutes if she has to slowly earn money for the card. At Christmas, it was a bright shiny gift that she couldn't resist--now, it is a golden prize that she worked hard to earn. I hope she takes some really important lessons from this experience--I know I am trying my hardest to teach her about saving/earning/spending wisely! :)

Provino's Italian Restaurant

We recently had dinner at Provino's--it was really good! We normally go to Olive Garden for Italian food, but we tried this because it was closer to home. I think I like it better--almost as much as Maggiano's. My teens really love Italian food!--lasagna, spaghetti, fettuccini, baked ziti, fried zucchini, and even calamari--yummy! And, of course, they LOVE pizza!! I think we have some Italian background in our family, but we are definitely an all-American mix--we like foods from many origins, too! :) Don't you just love America? I mean, really, where else is there such a wonderful mix of different cultures and foods to choose from? We love living in the melting pot of America--especially when it comes to choosing foods to eat! :)

Team Spirit

My daughter went to the last basketball game of the season. She was happy that they won the game, and she really enjoyed watching her crushes play ball! She will see some of the players in class now that the season is over, but it just isn't the same. Where else can you cheer on your favorite guys without looking odd? So now she will have to admire them from afar--and she will probably forget about them now that they aren't running up and down the court each weekend. I guess baseball season is starting soon--I expect to hear about the cute baseball players any day now! :)

Shoe Shine Kit

My son has a pair of boots that he wears for one of his extracurricular clubs. Recently, he decided to polish them so he purchased a shoe shine kit. I haven't seen anyone shine shoes in years! My dad used to shine his shoes every Sunday morning for church, but my husband never wears shoes that need to be polished. It was interesting to watch my son shine his boots--it was kind of nostalgic! He only does this for his boots--everything else he wears is casual and doesn't need such maintenance. He did a pretty good job for a guy who never witnessed shoe shines before! :)

Lost and Found

My daughter has lost her new glasses! She only wears them occasionally, so she takes them off often. I try to encourage her to always put them back in the case and away in her purse, but she forgot this time. She has looked at school, on her bus, and all over the house. She has no idea where they are! I am hoping that they will suddenly turn up in the place she forgot to look--or in the lost and found at school. She hasn't had them long--I think we may have some kind of warranty on them, but still--she needs to find them! Hopefully they will show up soon!

Permission Slips

My son is about to embark on a three day field trip away from home. I signed the permission slip and drilled him on all of the details. I think I have as much information as possible, but it is still hard to let him go far from home for so long. The toughest trip was a few years ago--his middle school band went to Florida for a week. Everything went well and he had a great time, but I have to admit that I was a worrying and crying mother for a few days. He was so far from home--without me!! It was really tough to let him go--but it was a great experience he will always remember. Yes, there are always chaperones on these things--and yes, they use professional drivers to get them there. Still, I worry. I guess it is just part of being a mother--the worry never goes away, does it? Plus, I missed him! When they are gone a few days, it just doesn't feel right back home! He is excited about the upcoming trip, and I am excited for him. Still, the mother in me will worry and think about him the entire time he is gone. I hope he has fun--but I will be glad when he returns home! :)

Call Your Parents!

My daughter was in the neighborhood with her friend the other day, but she forgot to call us and tell us where she was. We drove around the neighborhood and we did find her, but we were worried for a while. Nothing is scarier than not being able to find your child--no matter what their age. I have had some of those scary moments--yes, when they are really small it is more of a panic situation--ever lose your small child in a store? Still, for a while, I didn't know where my teenage daughter was--I didn't get to the panic mode, but I still worried. Does this ever go away? Will I still feel this way when they are living on their own as adults? Will they ever understand how much parents worry about them when they are out? I don't even want to think about the next few years when they are driving or riding with their friends--now that is going to be scary!! They HAVE to have something drilled into their minds: CALL YOUR PARENTS!! In my day, it was all about finding pay phones. In their day, they have access to cell phones and the internet. I want them to stay in touch--shoot me a call or email often to let me know that you are okay. In my daughter's defense, she is out of cell phone minutes--this is one reason why I like for them to have working cell phones. Too bad she ran out of minutes so quickly--now we can't use it for the purpose I intended--to keep in touch with them. Still, she had other ways she could have reached us and should have done so. Note to my teens: CALL YOUR PARENTS! We love you and worry about you when you are not home! To keep us from having heart attacks, just keep in touch! :)

Changing Electives

As this semester gets underway, my son and daughter were able to choose new electives. Since they are doing so well in their core courses, I think it is fine for them to choose a few classes that are simply fun. They do have to follow a pattern--kind of like choosing a major (at least my son does in high school). I am glad that they have these classes to balance out their busy days. Electives can be fun! :)

Rewards For Good Grades

My teens both had good report cards again--I am so proud of them! :) This has been a good year for them so far! While we never have had an organized reward system, I do sometimes give them treats if they do well. We eat out or go somewhere fun--and sometimes I give them money or let them buy a movie or something. This time they received some money--not a lot, but enough to show that they truly earned a reward for their hard work. My son is saving his to buy things for his guitar. My daughter is saving hers to buy more cell phone minutes. I am so proud of them! :)

Going Back In Time

My daughter watched a movie the other day that was about time travel. It reminded me of the Back to the Future movies. The idea is almost always: if you could go back and change things about your past, would you? Sometimes I think I would do some things differently, but many things would remain the same. If we could only go back with the wisdom and experience we have now--if we could only go back and experience the good things but not the bad--if we could only tweak things a bit and make a few changes but leave some things the same--there are a lot of "if only" stipulations, aren't there? But, of course, none of it is possible. We can never undo the past and never have "do overs" in life. However, I think that we can sometimes recapture old dreams and maybe make a go of them in a different way and different time frame. While cannot go back and retrace our steps exactly, maybe we can find a way to merge back on to the path that we left years ago. The dreams we fulfill won't look exactly as they would have back then, but they could be in the same "ballpark." We can't go back, but we CAN take our past experiences and apply them to our future. It isn't the same, but it can make a profound impact on the path we take into the future. I hope my teens do all they can to build their future in a way that leaves few regrets--and if there are some things they wish they could change, I hope they find a way to do so. And when they can't, I hope they will accept what life brings them and move on. What is that saying: "Grant me the power to change the things I can, the strength to accept the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference"? We cannot change the past, but we can change the course of our future. Going back in time in impossible, but using the knowledge and experience we gained from the past can truly make changes in our future. I hope my teens always move forward instead of backward! :)

Making Dreams Come True

My teens were out of school for MLK Day--yes, they slept late and didn't do much, but I DID try to interject some lessons to them during the day. We all know the big dreams MLK had--and many have come true. There is still a long way to go in some ways, but I think he would be proud of the progress made. Everyone has dreams--most are not as publicly oriented as MLK's, but they mean a lot to each individual. I hope my teens build some really good and really obtainable dreams for themselves, and I hope they do whatever they can to make them come true. I hope they learn to work toward their goals and dreams and to appreciate earning things in life and making progress toward those dreams. I hope they see the fulfillment of their dreams in the future! :)

Bike Riding

Both my son and daughter enjoyed riding their bikes around the neighborhood the other day. They both enjoy getting the exercise and being outdoors. I am glad to see them doing things that will keep them healthy and fit. Sometimes they join me on my walks--except they enjoy riding their bikes as I walk. This is a good way to be together and to do a healthy activity together as a family. I think buying the bikes for them was a good investment. I think they will use them a lot when we move to Florida! :)

Bike Route

My son didn't ride with his bike club this week. He is now checking out some of the bike paths in Florida--he is reconsidering whether or not he truly likes riding in the mountains. He seems to be thinking that he is more of a path rider than a mountain trail rider. He is considering leaving the mountain bike club and joining a different club that rides on more level paths. I think that would be good and would help him to adjust to a different type of riding once we move--there aren't any mountains trails in Florida!

"I Don't Do Dishes"

My daughter has been known to say this! However, she really doesn't mean it! She doesn't do them often, but she DOES do dishes every now and then. Especially now--she is trying to do chores to earn some money to refill her cell phone minutes. I thought this was so cute when I saw that there is now a line of nail polish with the name, "I Don't Do Dishes!" I just had to laugh because I thought of my daughter. I bought her a pair of rubber gloves to use when she DOES do dishes--now she is happy that she won't mess up her fingernails! :)

Dave and Buster's

My son's "other family" took him to Dave and Buster's the other day. They bought him and their son a "power card" that they could use to play games. They had a great time--there was a lot to do there! I think it is kind of like a casino for the underaged--but without the gambling, of course. Actually, that is what I think of when I think of casinos--I definitely do not like throwing money away, so I consider how much I would be willing to spend to play games at an arcade. I wouldn't go over that amount--that way, I would simply be paying a bit of money to have fun. I don't understand how people go into a casino and burn so much money--most of them lose much more than they win(except for the OCCASIONAL lucky winners!) If they looked at it more like an arcade and only spent the amount they would be willing to spend at a place like Dave and Buster's, they might be better off! :)

Weekend Getaway

This concept usually applies to parents, but this time it applies to my teenage son. He spent the entire weekend at a friend's house. He says that his friend's family thinks of him as one of their own--they love him and he is welcome anytime. I am fine with that--I am glad that he has a good friend and gets along well with his family. Still, I feel a bit slighted in some ways--he is now in the stage where he would much rather be at their house than ours, and that sometimes takes time away from OUR family time. One issue is this: they have more than we do--more of everything! Because they have more income and live at a higher standard than we do, some issues sometimes come up related to this. His friend really never wants to come over here and my son really doesn't invite him over--we don't have all of the cool things that they have. Why eat hamburgers when you can eat filet mignon, right? I mean this in a figurative way, but they DO eat out often and have no problem paying my son's way. I have talked to him about this--I offer some money but cannot afford to give him money for all of the things that they do. He assures me that they invite him and are fine with adding him to their bill. This makes me feel guilty--I want to help, but cannot. So I suggested that my son not "mooch" off of them too often--it could become a problem. He assures me that it is not. He tells me about their financial situation--apparently dropping a lot of money on things is no big deal to them. I wonder if I would feel this way if the money issue wasn't there--I know that I miss my son when he is gone all weekend, no matter where he is. Sometimes we tease him and say that he would rather live with his "other family." When all is said and done, I know for certain that I have given my son a large portion of love and attention--i know that this is the most important thing. Just because his friend's family can give him more things--mostly more experiences that cost money--doesn't diminish anything in our relationship. I guess I feel a bit jealous--my son is currently enamored with this wealthier lifestyle--he wants to spend as much time in that environment as possible. All I can do is love him and let him know how I feel--I do that every day. I know he KNOWS I love him--I will try not to take it too personally when he wants to spend so much time away from home--that is just part of being a teenager!

Crushing On Basketball Players

My daughter is so boy crazy right now! She went to some basketball games at her school, and now all she talks about is how cute some of the players are! She has some major crushes on some of them! Thirteen--this must be the age of EXTREME boy-craziness! I think I vaguely remember feeling that way--I was really shy about it. I remember that EVERYWHERE I went and EVERYTHING I did pretty much revolved around me wondering if there would be any cute boys there! My daughter is definitely in the peak of that stage! For now, she is admiring these ball players from afar. A few are in her classes and she knows them--but not well enough for them to be "potential boyfriends" yet. Stay innocent, my darling daughter! Stay innocent for as long as you can!

Snow Day 2008

Our first snow of 2008--and possibly the last snow for our family. It was pretty, it was fun, but now it is time for something new and different. Goodbye, winter weather! Next winter, we hope to be warm and toasty in Florida! :)

Maybe Our Last Snow

Weather is unpredictable--you never know exactly what is ahead. Still, I have a hunch that this MIGHT be our last snow. If we don't have any big snows the rest of this winter, this will be the last one for our family. Yes, it is pretty. Yes, it was fun when my kids were small. Yes, they like having snow days out of school. Still, it is cold, wet, and miserable--we are ready for warm and sunny weather. I don't think we will miss snow very much!

Schools Closed Due to Snow

This is the one good thing about snow days--a day out of school! My teens were happy to hear the news--they ended up sleeping most of the day away. Later, when they woke up, the snow was already beginning to melt away. Crazy weather! They didn't seem to care much about the snow--they were just happy to have a "Snow Day" out of school! :)

Snow Day!

My teens had what could be their last snow day the other day. If we move to Florida, they won't have any of those! We have mixed feelings about it--yes, it is cool to get out of school due to snow, but snow isn't always fun. Actually, they have really been complaining about cold weather lately. Every cold morning, they shiver and say that they can't wait to move to Florida and be warm again! I know--there are some cold days, and there are a lot of hot and miserable days, but we are ready for Florida's tropical climate. We have had many snow days--when my teens were little they had fun playing in the snow--but now, it just isn't as much fun. Days out of school are great, but we really won't miss the cold, the ice, or the snow. We are ready to bask in the sunshine of Florida!

Book Report

My son had to begin working on a book report this week. He used one of his library books and is working on getting through it quickly. I think he is skimming through it instead of reading it thoroughly. I hope he gets enough out of it to write a good book report! I can encourage, I can nag, I can punish--but he is the only one who can actually get these things done. I wish I could motivate him to put forth his best effort!

She Used All Her Cell Phone Minutes!!

OMG--less than a month since Christmas and all of my daughter's 1,000 minutes are gone! I can't believe how fast she used them! My son has about 400 minutes left--he is doing much better at saving them now. I am not about to purchase more minutes anytime soon. Now my daughter will have to do chores and other things to earn more money for minutes. I want her to understand--you have to really budget in order to make them last a while! I'm just glad that we didn't put them on a family plan with my phone--the bill would have been extremely high with overages this month! Oh, well--live and learn!

Rainy Day Blues On a Blue Monday

Not only was Monday tough just because it was Monday--plus the first Monday back at school since the holidays--but it was cold and rainy. I think this added to the bad moods my teens seemed to be in--they had the rainy day blues on a blue Monday. I think gray skies can definitely put people in bad moods--kind of a mild form of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I know I feel less productive on gray rainy days. Oh, well. We made it through a tough Monday and the week moved on from there. They survived the rainy blue Monday!

We Hate Mondays!

Since my teens began a new semester on Tuesday, this past Monday was the first one back at school since the holidays. There is just something about Mondays--we know there is still a long week ahead. They were kind of in grouchy moods--almost worse than the first day back last Tuesday! What is it about "blue Mondays"? They made it through the day and the week went on as usual. Mondays are always tough--Wednesdays are "hump days"--and they always are in a good mood on Fridays (TGIF!). But those Mondays...especially after having some time off...Mondays are the toughest days of the week!

DVDs From the Library

My daughter chose some books from the library, but she also checked out this documentary film about Lewis and Clark. They are studying this at school, and she wanted to see the video version of it. I watched it with her--this was a pretty good version of the story! National Geographic always does a good job, but this was excellent! My daughter took it to school and her class watched it and enjoyed it, too. I highly recommend this and any other documentaries from National Geographic.

Library Books

My teens both needed to check out some books from the library for school projects. I only wish they both still enjoyed reading for pleasure! My daughter sometimes likes books about dating and boys, but my son has all but given up on "pleasure reading." They quickly found what they needed and hurried out of there--no more lingering over books for them! I LOVE to go to the library and bookstores--I often check out or buy many books each time. I am an avid reader who reads every chance I get. I hope that my teens move into a new stage--one where they want to read about things that interest them. For now, I guess they are in the "required reading" mode. I would love to see them transition into "pleasure readers". Maybe one day!

Walking the Dog

My teens took our dog to a dog park the other day. It isn't often that they take her on long walks--they usually let her run around the yard and neighborhood a bit. They seemed to enjoy watching her check things out along the way. It was cold, but the sun was shining and it was a nice day to be outside. They really seem to enjoy spending time with the dog. I still have no idea how this will all work out when we move. We recently had an issue where we were going to stay in a hotel, but no pets were allowed. We had to make other arrangements. This could become a real issue in our future. Where we are now, and the lifestyle we have now, all works out for pet ownership. In the future, it may not work out so well. I am trying to decide exactly what to do about this. We MAY be able to let the dog live with relatives and we would visit her on occasion. I had three dogs when I was a child and teen--all three died rather young (one was ill, the other two were run over!). I never had a dog that lived for years and years. I am not a big pet person--this dog belongs to my teens. I just don't know how we are going to work it out. We cannot plan our lives around this dog--we cannot miss out on opportunities because of this dog. I don't think it is cruel to say that pet ownership worked in one situation, but not in another. If we cannot take the dog with us, I will be sure to arrange a very loving and humane home for the dog. As far as the dog is concerned, she will miss us but will be happy in her new home. As far as my teens are concerned, I'm just not sure. My daughter is fine with it--she is ready to get to Florida and isn't too worried about the dog. She enjoys time with the dog, but she doesn't want to arrange her life around it. My son is more attached--he wants to bring the dog when we move. I am trying to figure it all out--the dog is 3 years old--my son leaves home in about 3 years, when the dog is 6 years old. We will have to deal with this again at that point if the dog end up moving with us to Florida. Here, there is also the option of returning the dog to the farm where she was born. I think the breeders have several of her siblings there. She does seem to really enjoy being around other dogs--especially other labs. I wonder if letting her go back to her "dog family" would be best for her? I wonder if moving her to Florida, keeping her cooped up in a small apartment all day long with no yard, and having little interaction with a busy family would truly be in her best interest? If we end up moving with her, I think it would be a less than ideal situation for her. Here, we have a big yard and a lot of room. There, we won't. Here, I am currently home all day to let her outside. There, I won't be. She will be indoors all day. I think it might be selfish to put her in that situation just so they can keep the dog. And in a few years, they will be leaving--what about the dog then? Right now, my son is determined to move the dog. He isn't thinking long term, and he isn't thinking about the situation that the dog would be in there--he just wants his dog. I want him to be happy, but there are other things to consider. For now, they can enjoy time with the dog--I just don't know what we will do in the future.

Online Shopping

We have been shopping online a lot lately. It seems that it is often hard to find things in stock in the "real world" stores, but you can find almost anything online. My teens have used their gift cards from Christmas to shop online--everything arrived and they were completely satisfied. I decided to order a few things myself--I also was very happy with the ease of shopping online. I keep telling myself that I need to completely give up the craziness of holiday shopping and stick to shopping online only--but it is hard to give up the "real thing." When it comes to clothes, I just HAVE to try things on. And there are many things that just need to be seen/touched/heard in person before deciding to purchase them. I may try to limit myself to online shopping for the holidays next year, but I bet I will end up getting out in the real world a few times to see if I REALLY want to buy things--I may actually purchase them online, but I just HAVE to check them out in person! My teens are adjusting better to shopping online than I am! :)

We Love BBQ!

We ordered takeout from a wonderful barbecue place the other day. We don't eat it often, but when we do we always enjoy it. If we aren't eating at a local BBQ place, we are cooking out on our grill. Even in the cold weather, we love to grill steaks, burgers, chicken, etc. I know that barbecuing on the grill and eating at a barbecue restaurant can be vastly different, but they both give the cooked meat a distinct flavor. There is one place we LOVE to go because it smells SO good in there! Umm...BBQ--it looks good, it smells wonderful, and it tastes delicious! My teens enjoy it as much as I do! :)

SORBA Biking Club

My son is in a mountain biking club that has ties to SORBA--Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association. He has been riding several mountain trails in the area lately with his club. He really enjoys this and will miss it when we move to Florida. I looked into bike trails in Florida--no, there aren't any MOUNTAIN trails, but there are some really great places to ride. There are park trails, beach trails, and other trails in many areas of Florida. I think he will enjoy riding his bike there--although it will be very different than riding in the mountains. There are bike clubs that meet and ride together like the one here, they just ride different kinds of trails. There are even some that are associated with SORBA in Florida. I hope he can make a smooth transition with his extracurricular activities when we move. I want both my son and daughter to be happy in their new lives there, and keeping them active in their school and extracurricular lives is a big part of the equation. I am doing what I can to make it all work out! :)

Online Grades

As the new semester began, my teens received their grades from the previous semester. There really weren't any surprises because they can check their grades online at any time. I am proud to say that they both completed the first semester with good grades--As and Bs. I think it is going to continue to be a good year for them academically. They like their classes, they like their teachers, and they have active social lives. I am thankful that the year that we "weren't suppose to be here" (we were suppose to be in Florida already) has so far turned out to be a good one. Yes, we still really want to move and are excited about the future, but at least my teens aren't MISERABLE while they wait! I hope they complete this semester with good grades and move to Florida with good transcripts in their hands. That will help them make a smooth transition into their new schools. I think they are on the right path so far! :)

You've Gotta Have F-R-I-E-N-D-S!

My teens have been spending a lot of time with their friends lately. Going to their houses...having them over at our house...spending the night...going out to movies, bowling, and other places...their friends are very important to them. Yes, some have moved away, and soon we will move, too--I THINK everything is going to go smoothly in the upcoming months. Some of their friends are old friends, but many are fairly recent friendships. As I watch them develop new friendships here before we move, I have decided that my teens are very flexible and can adapt to changes pretty well. I was the same way at their age--I moved often and always made new friends wherever I went. I think today's society is so mobile that teens today just seem to adapt better to new situations. There aren't many high school students who have been together since elementary school. There are some, but I think the majority have moved at least once or twice since kindergarten. Most of my teens' current friends have recently moved here within the last year or two. From what I can see, the area of Florida that we are moving to is very transitional--most of Florida is that way, actually. Very few "Floridians" are native to the area--most are transplants. I hope that this will help my teens make the transition after we move--if most of their peers are also new, or fairly new, to the area, it will be easier to "find their place." I don't foresee situations where longtime friends will exclude my teens because they are "the new kids." I only wish we could have moved at the very beginning of high school for my son--it would have been nice to start his freshman year there instead of his sophomore year. My daughter will be entering the 8th grade in the fall, so the timing isn't exactly perfect for her, either. I guess it is a compromise--waiting until her freshman year would make my son have to change schools for his junior year, and moving for his freshman year would make my daughter have to move for her 7th grade year (this year). I guess there just isn't an exactly perfect time to go for both of them. SO--I hope we move by this summer and they begin a new year in the fall at their new schools in Florida. And I hope they make new friends easily when they get there! :)

Expensive Field Trips

My son is participating in fundraisers for an upcoming field trip. Even with the extra funds, parents are expected to pay quite a bit for these trips. Some of the trips are really great and we wouldn't want him to miss them. Others are not really worth the expense, in my opinion. This upcoming trip sounds pretty good, but I don't know if we can come up with the amount that parents are expected to contribute. I want my son to do some things to earn some of it. I told him that he could have used his birthday and Christmas money for this, and he looked at me like I was crazy! It never occurred to him to use HIS money on a field trip! Oh, boy--do we have some work to do on this! I will have to come up with some ideas to make him truly earn his way on this trip. He is doing well with the organized fundraising--I just want him to continue the goal of saving money for the trip instead of just expecting his parents to foot the bill. We still have time--he will definitely appreciate it more if he earns it! He will be rewarded for his hard work! :)

MySpace Age Limits

We just recently realized that my daughter and her friends are claiming to be older than they really are on MySpace. Apparently, you are supposed to be at least 14 to use it--my daughter and her friends are 13. My daughter was claiming to be 17, and some of her friends were claiming to be as old as 19. There haven't been any ill effects from this--they are all set to private and only let their real-life friends on their friends lists. Still, it is a bit scary. We don't want older boys trying to get her to add them as friends. We talked to her and she corrected it--that is when we found out about the 14 and up requirement. We are trying to decide what to do now. Let her keep it and say she is 14? Or make her wait until her birthday? There are many things in life that you have to wait for--15 for a driver's permit, 16 for a license, 18 to make adult decisions legally, etc. But why 14 for MySpace? It isn't illegal for a 13 year old to get online--shouldn't parents make that decision? Still, I don't want to encourage lying. It's that "everyone else does" situation--and I feel like saying, "but you are NOT everyone else!" From what we can see, everything has been totally safe and innocent--except for the age thing. Her teachers at school are even on her friends list and check in sometimes. My son is 15 and started his MySpace last year when he was 14. My daughter just started hers a few weeks ago at 13. She is trying to catch up to her brother in so many ways, but I just wish she would slow down a bit. I want her to enjoy being 13, then 14, then 15...each age is an experience unto itself. I am beginning to convince myself to make her wait until her birthday--this will encourage honesty and give her some time to enjoy being 13 before moving into the world of 14 year olds. It definitely won't hurt her to wait--she can still do email, talk on the phone, and text message her friends. There don't seem to be age limits on those things. I'll look into this a bit more and make a decision soon. This reminds me of the PG-13 decision: we took her to movies such as Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean when she was under 13--and I think they were all rated PG-13. She definitely seemed mature enough to handle PG-13 movies at 11 and 12. It feels a lot like the same kind of decision, except we didn't lie about her age to buy the movie tickets. If parents are okay with their under-13 year olds going to PG-13 movies, it's okay. I guess I need to think about this a little longer. There are other things that will come up regarding age limits--some are simply recommendations, and some are laws. I definitely want to obey the laws and will enforce them regarding my teens and age limits. In other cases, it is simply recommended that parents consider the age suggestions, and then make their decisions on an individual basis. I can see that we will be making MANY decisions about what we will let them do at certain ages and what we will make them wait to do. This is one of the more difficult tasks of parenting teenagers---I hope we make the right decisions about this. No one ever said that parenting teenagers was going to be easy!

Dating a Best Friend's Ex

Apparently my son has a new girlfriend--only problem is, this new girl is his best friend's ex-girlfriend! I talked to him a bit about that--he says that his friend truly doesn't care. They all seem to be really casual about everything so far. When they went on the double date together, they all had fun. My son was crazy about his girlfriend then (now the ex), and his friend liked his girlfriend a lot, too. A few weeks passed, and both couples were broken up. I think my son's best friend has a new girlfriend and is not at all upset about someone dating his ex. My son began talking to the new girl a lot on the phone--before they knew it, they changed from friends to feeling "in love." It is still quite innocent--no dates yet, but planning one for the near future. Hmm--I wonder which would be better: a single date with just the two of them, or a double date with the best friend and his date (possibly putting the exes in an awkward situation). I think I remember a situation like that when I was a teen--but the ex was a very casual thing and it truly didn't bother me. There were some exes that truly broke my heart, though--those would have been awkward situations if my best friends had dated those guys. I guess it is up to them--if it is as casual as it seems, it probably won't really matter. Still, these things can get tricky! OMG--I don't miss dating at all! And I'm riding an emotional roller coaster just watching my teens go through it! What a ride!

Irreplaceable? NOT!!

My daughter loves this song, and apparently she is living it, too. If that boy that broke her heart thinks he is irreplaceable, he better think again! My daughter is already swooning over another boy now--she took all of her photos of the "ex" and replaced them with photos of the "new guy." I think it is still in the stage of "he's SO cute!" I'm just glad that she isn't letting her heart feel broken for long! As long as she is still in the very early stages of dating, it seems to be very light-hearted and easy-going. When one person is tired of the other, they both move on to someone new. No serious heartbreak yet--just lots of flirting and noticing all of the cute boys who could be potential new crushes. I sure wish I could keep everything so light-hearted for her, but I know that true love is coming one day. For now, it seems to be fun and games, and lots of "puppy love"! :)

Change is Good!

Starting a new semester seemed to be a good thing for my teens. It was different for both of them, but my son experienced the most changes in his high school schedule. He has different classes and everything is at a different time now. He even has several new teachers. My daughter had fewer changes in middle school, but there were still some differences. They seem to both feel good about the fresh start. It makes it easier to put your heart into something when it is fresh and new as opposed to old and boring. Change is good!

Back to School After the Holidays

Well, vacation finally ended and they had to go back to school. At least they began a new semester with new schedules and classes. They had a pretty good attitude about it--they were glad to see their friends. It sure was hard to get up early again after sleeping in for two weeks! I hope they both have an excellent second semester! :)

Preparing for a New Semester

Well, they have one more day until returning to school for a second semester. They sure were hoping to be living in Florida by now--they would have until the 28th to start a new semester there. Oh, well--we may have to wait until the end of the school year now. I will get everything in order to try to get this move going--if it takes all semester, than I guess it works out for the best for them. For now--a new semester is kind of like a fresh start. Tomorrow is another day! :)

Ahh!--Warm Sunny Weather!

Okay--this weather is so weird! NICE--but weird!! A few days ago, it was so cold that we had a freeze warning. Now, it is sunny and warm--almost spring-like! I can't complain--I really like it and it makes me think of Florida--but it is just weird! I guess I will enjoy it and prepare for the next cold snap. I am already anxious for winter to end and spring to officially arrive. Until then, I will soak in all of the sunshine that I can! :)

Another Heartbreak!

I'm not sure how much of an item my daughter and her crush/boyfriend really were, but now, according to her--"It's Over!" Apparently she saw a photo of another girl on his MySpace page, and he said that it was his new girlfriend. I'm not sure if he was kidding or not, but she took it seriously and said--"That is it! We are over! I am breaking up with you!" Now, this would be serious business in a "real" relationship, but these two have never gone on a date or kissed or anything else. She is a bit heartbroken, but she immediately began talking about other cute boys and that she could like someone else really soon. I guess she is getting over this "break up" pretty quickly!! :) Oh, my--this was almost TOO easy--I am really dreading the TRUE heartbreak that is sure to be in the near future! I wish I could protect her heart from ever being broken, but I know it will happen. I just hope it isn't too soon!

A New Book Bag/Purse

My daughter received this purse for Christmas, and she loves it. The front looks like a purse and the back looks like a backpack. She is planning to use it as her book bag for school. She says that is is totally the style! I think it is cute, too! :)

Modeling New Clothes

My daughter tried on some of her new clothes that she received for Christmas (or bought with Christmas money and gift cards). She looked so good! I especially like this shirt set--kind of reminds me of my 80s style when I was her age--the striped sleeves and all! Made me want to say: "totally tubular"! :) I know--they would think that was "so lame" to say so I won't say it--at least not out loud! We did enjoy watching Deal or No Deal this week--the 70s and 80s themes were cool! :) It is fun to remember "the good old days"! :)

Garage Band

My son took his new bass guitar to his friend's house--his friend has a drum set, a keyboard, and other instruments. I think they actually put some things together and really do have a "garage band" going on over there! Oh, my! I guess we'll have to alert the neighbors! :) Some of the best bands started in garages, so you never know where this might lead! :)

Guitar Music

My son went online to find some sheet music for his new bass guitar. He took right to it--he can read music and he is apparently doing very well teaching himself to play his new guitar. I mentioned professional lessons, but he says he doesn't feel like he needs them. I guess he is right--some of the best musicians never had any formal training. Rock on, man!

New Bass Guitar

My son ordered this bass guitar set online and it finally arrived. He was thrilled! He immediately began playing it, and he is really quite good at it! He is truly a talented musician! Maybe he can join a band on the side--I hope he gets a "real job" to back up his musical talents, though. I would hate to see him live the life of a starving musician! But for now--play on!!

All Bundled Up

My daughter received a faux fur blanket a few years ago, and it is the best way to stay warm during these cold winter days. It is so soft and luxurious! Keep in mind, though--it is FAUX fur!! No animals were harmed in making it! She and I curled up on the couch and shared her blanket--it was so warm! Still--I can't wait for warmer weather to arrive!

Freeze Warning

Brrrrr! We had some really cold weather here recently! No snow or ice, thankfully--just really cold temperatures and blistering winds that made the wind chill factor dip really low. I am really getting tired of winter weather!! I am SO ready to move to Florida---oops, I heard that it even was cold in Florida this time around!! Snow flurries in Cape Canaveral!! WHAT?!! Oh, well--I know the occasional cold snap can hit even central Florida, BUT--I have also heard of HOT weather during January and February there. It is unpredictable, but, for the MOST part, it is a warm and sunny place to be!! Oh, how I crave that warm sunshine right now!! :)