D&B Shotglass

My son went to a friend's 15th birthday party at Dave & Busters--that is a cool place for a party! There are lots of great video games and other games to play there--and they have great food, too! He earned some points and bought a shot glass with them--he collects shot glasses from many places that he has been. He had a really good time, and his friend seemed to really enjoy his birthday party. Now the big 16th birthday parties will begin soon--those are usually much bigger than any others so far!

LMN

My daughter and I spent a rainy day watching movies on LMN--Lifetime Movie Network. Some were good and some not so good. Some were funny, some were scary, and some made us cry. I guess it was less about the movies and more about the quality time that we spent together--it was nice! :)

Hair Cuttery

I finally talked my son into getting his hair cut--he really wants it to grow out and look a certain way, but his hair just won't do what he wants it to do. I don't want to be pushy about it--I know that hair styles are very important to teenagers. I just quietly watched as he tried and tried to get his hair to do a certain way--and saw his frustration when it would not. Finally, he said that he was ready to get it cut. He acknowledged that his hair just won't do the way he would like it to do. Welcome to the club, son--some of us spend years trying to get this message--often spending hours in salons and lots of money trying to create a certain look only to be disappointed time and time again. The sooner we learn to accept what nature gave us, the better! :)

She's Bored!

My daughter's neighborhood friend was out of town this weekend, so she kept saying that she was so bored. She watched television--everything was boring. She watched some movies--those were boring, too. She listened to music and talked online to some of her friends--most of them weren't online, so she became bored very quickly doing that, too. I had to leave and run some errands--she said that she didn't want to go because that would be boring, too. I think teenagers just get bored sometimes--must be part of the growing process! :)

Night Driving

My son wanted to practice driving at night, so we let him do that this weekend. It is tougher than it looks, isn't it? He did fine, but he acknowledged the difficulty of seeing everything clearly. We discussed some of the problems that could come up, such as glare from oncoming headlights. There is so much to learn before you can feel 100% comfortable behind the wheel. I think today's teens are getting much more education and practice than we did! I think I just had a few short lessons, and off I went! We are spending an entire year training him in driver safety and education--i think most parents are doing the same. I hope he will feel very comfortable once he reaches his 16th birthday and can get his license--I want him to be one of the most cautious drivers on the road--day OR night.

Bronze Medal Winner!

My daughter is normally very shy and reluctant to be in front of crowds, but she has really been coming out of her shell lately. This time, her teacher encouraged her to enter a speech contest. I was very surprised and proud that she did it--just getting up in front of people is a huge challenge for her. Guess what? She won third place and brought home a bronze medal! WOW! A wonderful accomplishment for a shy girl! As I watched the speakers, I was proud of all of them for doing this--it isn't an easy thing for anyone to do! The winner had more experience--this was my daughter's first speech competition. The winner looked at the crowd when speaking--my daughter kept her eyes glued to her paper. But that doesn't matter--she can just practice the eye contact and try again next year! She still did very well to win third place! I am SO proud of her! :)

Cousins

My teens don't have very many cousins--the ones they do have are mostly much younger than they are. But my daughter is one year older than one of her girl cousins--they are becoming pretty close lately. We don't see this cousin often--about twice a year--but my daughter stays in touch with her through phone calls and emails. Even though they have different spring breaks, they are trying to arrange a visit soon. I think that my niece may visit here next month even though my daughter will be in school. My daughter wants to see if her cousin could go to school with her one day that week. That could be fun--I just don't want my daughter to fall behind in any way while her cousin visits. Now that the visit is almost certain, they are very excited! I just wish my son had a cousin his age, too--oh, well. Sometimes it just doesn't work out. He does have a lot of good friends, though--sometimes he thinks of them as family more than his real family! I am glad that my teens have both friends and family that care about them--and they always have fun when they are together! :)

Art and Music

The other day, my son was playing music on his guitar and my daughter was creating art in her sketchbook. My friend was visiting, and she made a comment about my teens being so talented in these areas. I've always known that, but it is good to see other people appreciate their talents as well. I know some teens are really into other things: sports, cars, etc. Some are very talented ball players--others are very talented mechanics--whatever the area of expertise, their parents are usually proud of them and brag about their accomplishments. Well I am taking a moment to brag about my son and his musical ability and my daughter and her artistic ability--they really are good at what they do! They are happy when they can express themselves through their art and music. I am so proud of them! :)

Home Stretch

I think this term comes from horse races--the horses are almost at the finish line as they run the final "home stretch". As my teens complete this last quarter in school and as we try to get everything in order for our upcoming move, this term certainly applies with us. We are all on the home stretch--we are almost to the finish line. We just need to keep on running--keep giving it our all--maybe even give it a bit of extra effort--and soon we will cross the finish line and be on our way to the winners circle! At least I hope that is where we get to be when the race is over! :)

Good Grades Again

Another great report card from both my son and daughter--I am so proud! They are really working hard this year! Now they only have one quarter left--just a few more weeks to complete the year. Keep up the good work! I am proud of both of you!

Photo Editing

Sometimes we edit our digital photos--even though we don't have the more expensive Photoshop software, we still sometimes say that we "photoshopped" a photo. I wonder if that is now in the dictionary--words like blogging and texting have to be added, how about "photoshopping"? Anyway, I guess the more accurate term would be photo editing--whatever we call it, it is fun to do! The software we use most often is Microsoft Picture It--not as many options as Photoshop, but still fun to use. I especially like to use it when scanning old photos--there are many things you can do to make old film shots look much better. My teens sometimes edit their own photos, too. Once again--we love digital photography--and photo editing, too!

Digital Photography

My teens are both getting very good about taking photos of themselves and their friends. I am glad, because I have always been very good about taking their pictures, but they have been more reluctant about it lately. Now that they have their own digital cameras, they are doing more and more themselves. I can't be there for everything, so I am glad that they are documenting things in their life with photos. They often download their photos to the computer and put them on MySpace. What they don't know is this: sometimes I sneak some of their photos into MY files so that I can continue to document their lives. I love the convenience of digital photography! Just open a folder in their My Pictures files, highlight the ones that I want, click copy, open up my own My Pictures files, and click paste--simple and easy. My daughter has done the same thing to me--I had a file with her photos from birth to now and she wanted to put some on her MySpace page. She copied them and uploaded them, then she created a slide show about her life. Digital photography is so awesome! :)

Acting in a Skit

I am so proud of my daughter--she is normally quite shy and is very reluctant to get up in front of people. She had to do a skit in science class the other day. I was afraid that she would try to get out of it somehow--fake a sick day or something. She went to school, she participated in the skit, and she did a great job--I am so glad! When you are painfully shy, simple things like this can be a huge ordeal to overcome. I know, because I've been there! The feeling of everyone's eyes on you--the feeling of your face turning beet red and getting as hot as fire--the feeling of your voice getting caught in your throat as you try to speak--it can be torturous! Whew! I get stressed just thinking about it! So she overcame her shyness and did it--way to go!!

Sick Days

My son still didn't feel well on Monday, but he returned to school because he didn't want to fall behind. Wow--he sure has changed! He used to want to stay home every time he had an ache or pain. I guess high school is different--so much pressure to keep up with so many assignments, and the knowledge of how hard it is to catch up if you fall behind. I am proud of him--he is working very hard to keep his grades up. I worried about him in middle school--he was just "getting by". I think he now understands how important high school is to his future--colleges look at everything you do in high school. He is trying to get on the right path and stay there. Good for him!

Passion Play

One thing that we used to do is attend a Passion Play together, sometimes before Easter, and often on Easter Sunday. For several years, a local church would perform one on Easter Sunday and we went there several years in a row. I thought it was a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday. This year, that church announced that they were "retiring" that tradition--they would just have a regular service. Just another changing tradition, I guess. Hopefully we will live in Florida next year--maybe we can find one there next Easter. There have been many things around here lately that have changed--whether it is a business being sold or a festival being canceled, life moves on. You know that feeling--when you ride by a place that you see every day, and one day it is gone or changed in a drastic way. It just feels--well, strange at first. It takes a while to get used to the difference. In the future, you might even forget how things USED to be because you become used to the way things are now. The idea of returning to the "old way" may no longer make sense--the new way isn't necessarily better, but it is the way it should be. I like the term "retiring a tradition". It isn't erasing the old ways--often the memories of the old ways are celebrated in a sentimental fashion--but the new ways are celebrated as much as the old. There are many things from childhood that my teens have now "retired"--we can give them a place of honor, but they HAVE to go--they cannot remain in our lives. Soon, I will have to make the ultimate "retirement"--I will always be their mother, but I will have to retire from my job of mothering them. I will honor the memory of my days of mothering--I have many photos. home movies, and scrapbooks to memorialize this time in my life. But soon I will have to retire and move on--they will be grown and will "mother" themselves. Seeing the retirement of each tradition brings me closer to that day. The good news is that there is a lot of life left in me beyond my "retirement from motherhood"--I've enjoyed it immensely, but I have big plans for my next stage in life. Retiring outgrown things, outgrown lifestyles, and outgrown traditions can be a good thing--it clears the way for the NEW and DIFFERENT part of life. I think I am almost ready! :)

Changing Easter Traditions

Now that I have teenagers, holidays are very different for us. We used to do all of the things like dye Easter eggs, have Easter egg hunts, have Easter baskets full of goodies, dress in new Easter outfits, attend church, and eat out for a nice Easter dinner that usually included photos with the Easter Bunny. Now, we have breakfast together, dress casually, go to a contemporary church service, and eat a steak and baked potato dinner together. It just isn't the same! I sometimes miss the "good old days"--still, I am enjoying our new traditions and way of life. I had years of being Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny--it was so much fun! But time is moving on and everything is changing--old traditions are now outgrown and new ones must be created to replace them. And then, in the future, they will change yet again! Whenever I see a small boy or girl enjoying something that my teens have outgrown, I smile and feel nostalgic for a minute, then I realize that everything is as it should be. I had my time with young kids and it was wonderful--now I have my time with teens and I need to make it wonderful, too--different, but just as wonderful. And sometimes I think--one day, maybe I will have grandchildren and then I can do some of these things again with them! :)

Sharing Things With My Daughter

My daughter was in my closet the other day looking for a shirt to go with one of her skirts. I went into her closet soon afterward to borrow a pair of her shoes. We share many things these days! We are ALMOST the same size in most things--thankfully I lost weight last year so that I can say that! There was a period of time when I was a bit overweight and she was shorter and smaller than I was. I lost weight and she grew up and filled out. I like this stage! :) There will be times when her style is just a bit too youthful for me--I WON'T be wearing anything that looks like it definitely belongs on a teenager and NOT her mom! Still, there are a lot of things that we DO share and we like a lot of the same things. We share music CDs and other things, too. I am really having fun with her--I hope it stays this way! :)

The Mother Daughter Connection

My daughter and I spent some time with my mother last weekend. I always analyze the mother-daughter relationships between us all--each connection is very different. When my mother's mother was alive, the differences between us all was even more highlighted. My mother and her mother had a strained relationship--my mother was always trying to please her mother, but she was never successful at it--my grandmother was always complaining and my mother could never seem to make her happy, though she tried very hard to do so. My mother and I have a very different type of connection--I don't think I ever did things to try to please her because I was too busy rebelling from her and trying to do my own thing--I never thought she was cool and I thought everything she did was wrong--I have spent my life trying to be as different from her as I can be. My daughter and I have our own unique connection--we are much more alike than any of the other mother-daughter combinations in our family--we like the same clothes, the same music, the same movies, etc.--at least for now, my daughter is not rebelling from me and is not trying to be different from me--in fact, she wants to borrow my clothes, shoes, and everything else from me--I am sure that we will have more differences in the future but for now, it is kind of nice to have a daughter that LIKES to hang out with me! :) I don't think my mother and grandmother could say that, and I KNOW that I never felt that way with my mother, so it is kind of cool. I am NOT saying that I want to just "be her friend"--I am most definitely her mother and I will exert my authority when necessary. Still, when I was her age, I was extremely embarrassed to be around my mother. No offense to her, but she just wasn't one of the "cool moms"--she didn't dress trendy or style her hair nicely or wear makeup, etc. I always compared her to my friends' mother--she looked great for her age, wore the coolest clothes, drove a cool car, etc. My friends' mother still was strict and made her follow the rules, but she looked and acted youthful and was fun to be around. Not so with my mother. Honestly, I think I am patterning my own motherhood after my friends' mother instead of my own mother. She was a great role model--a good mother who made sure her kids did what they were supposed to do while managing to take great care of herself in the process. I don't know exactly what her secret was, I just know that I always wanted a mother like her--and now I want to BE a mother like her. I love my mother and she is a good person--I know that she loves me very much--this has nothing to do with how we feel about each other. But as I watch us interact together--all of these mother-daughter combinations--I feel good about what I have created with my own daughter. I am not perfect and I know my daughter will rebel from me in various ways--still, I am REALLY enjoying the process of creating this relationship with her. Sometimes I think about specific issues going on now, and I think back to how my friends' mother would have handled it. Mom, I love you, but I STILL want to be like you-know-who! :)

Medication

My son just wanted some relief from his symptoms--he didn't care if it was allergies or a cold--he just needed some relief! He chose Benadryl--although it does specify that it is for allergies, it listed his symptoms--cold or allergy?--either way, this was suppose to bring some relief. Then I got to thinking about the risks of medication--just recently, there was a story about another allergy medication causing problems. And, of course, there are also issues regarding some cold medications as well. When I was growing up, when we were sick, we were always given medicine. No one discussed risks of the medicine--everyone said that you HAVE to take the medicine to get well. Now, the opposite is true. Since becoming a parent, I was VERY cautious about giving medication to my kids. First of all, they were terrible about TAKING the medicine---they hated it!! I hated for them to get sick--yes, I hated to see them feeling bad, but I also hated to deal with the "forcing of the medication" issue. Luckily, they were very healthy when they were younger and we didn't have to deal with medicine issues very often. For the most part, I believed what I was being told about viruses--there is no cure for a virus, and any medication that is taken simply treats the symptoms but does NOT cure the virus--therefore, don't force medicine on kids because it won't cure their viral illnesses. The only times they were prescribed antibiotics were the few times that they had bacterial infections--luckily, this was NOT very often. I have seen kids that are on antibiotics nearly year round--I think this is done much less now that research shows the futility of that practice. A decade or so ago, antibiotics were definitely overused--now we are paying the price--infections are becoming resistant and nothing is able to fight them. Not to mention the issue of the many medications that are recalled each year because they may cause problems for users. Because of all of this, I am often reluctant to take medication or give it to others. It CAN help at times, but many times it is unnecessary. This time, it SEEMED to be safe, and my son claims that it DID help to relieve his symptoms. I know that, if he had a cold, the medicine will not cure it. I also know that the ingredients in the medicine did seem to lessen his symptoms. Still, as far as I am concerned, medicine is something to be used very cautiously and as a last resort--no running to the medicine cabinet for every ache or pain here!

Cold or Allergy

My son has never been diagnosed with allergies, but there are times when I wonder: is it a cold, or does he have an allergy? Every spring, his father gets all of the awful symptoms of hayfever. I really don't seem to have the same problem, although I do tend to get many symptoms during the winter (cold and flu season). It doesn't seem that my teens inherited their father's allergies, but I'm not sure. Oh, and my brother, my teens' uncle, had awful allergies growing up, so there could be a genetic connection there, too. One summer, we took a trip cross country--my son seemed to become congested in the dry and arid climates out west. I'm not sure how it all works--dry air/little humidity causing sinus problems? Anyway, my son had a lot of symptoms last weekend and was miserable--not sure if it was a cold or an allergy, though. He doesn't seem to get this way EVERY spring like his father does, so I'm not sure.

Sleeping Beauty

My daughter fell asleep on the couch after school the other day. I had a feeling that she was staying up later than she should--I tell her to go to bed, but I can't make her sleep! I think she stays up in her room and writes in her journal--and she draws in her sketch book, too. Sometimes time gets away from her--she needs to get more sleep at night, though--I can tell that it is catching up to her when she falls asleep like this. Teenagers need a lot of sleep--sometimes they just don't schedule it well and end up sleep-deprived. Usually they get caught up when they can on the weekends and holidays. Hopefully she will sleep well this weekend and go to bed at a reasonable hour next week--then she should be back on track. Sleep well! :)

Snail Mail

My son sent his girlfriend a love letter in the mail--through "snail mail"! They talk on the phone, they email, they text message, they IM (instant message)--but apparently there is no expiration date on the romantic notion behind a written love letter. I think that is so sweet! Still, I hope this isn't getting too serious yet--they are only 15 years old! Keep it innocent--send the love notes--whisper sweet nothings to each other--but please, keep it simple and innocent. You have plenty of time for all of the rest--take it slow. As long as it stays that way, I think love notes are a sweet idea!

Final Countdown

Now that my teens have entered the final quarter in school, the countdown to summer has begun. Not including an upcoming spring break, they have about 9 weeks of school left. Once it gets in the single digits, it really goes fast! I can't believe it--just 9 weeks until summer! The countdown begins! :)

Final Quarter

My teens have approached the end of their third quarter at school and have now begun the fourth and final quarter. It is so hard to believe how close they are to the end of the school year--it sure did go by fast! But it also has me worried once again about the timing of our move to Florida--as summer approaches, I want to be ready to go THIS summer! I hope it all works out! Until then, I hope they have a happy and successful final quarter as they end this school year. It has gone pretty well so far and I hope it continues to do so.

Looking For Love

My daughter is once again at a standstill with her crushes--the troublemaker has moved on, the other boy may have another girlfriend, and yet another boy seems unaccessible. Now she is looking for another boy to focus her affection on. It is as if she isn't happy unless there is some boy to swoon after! I wish I could get her to tone down this boy craziness--she will be OK if she doesn't have a boy to like for a week or two!!

Guitar Serenade

My son played his guitar for his girlfriend the other day--how romantic! It wasn't quite a romantic ballad or a serenade, but it was close. I think this is so cool! My son, the musician, playing music for his "true love"--well, his "true like" anyway. It was very sweet!

Presidential Race

My son and daughter are having to keep up with the presidential race in school. It looks like it is down to the final three--soon to be two. They have had some interesting discussions about each candidate. They may be too young to vote yet, but they are becoming as informed and involved as possible. It won't be long before they are old enough to vote--they are already entering the political scene as they prepare for that day. Until then, watching the news, reading about the candidates, writing about their political views and opinions, and discussing the issues in school is a great way to prepare for their political future. I love America! :)

Sign of Spring

We are beginning to see the first signs of spring around here--some of the first trees are budding. After all of the cold, the rain, and the floods--it is a welcome sight! Welcome spring! Summer is just around the corner! :)

Rainbow After Storm

After all of that rain, it was a joy to see the beautiful rainbow afterward! It is hard to see through all of the trees in our backyard, but it was a large and colorful one. Once again--nature is just amazing! :)

Bad Weather and Flooding

We have what is normally a small creek running through our backyard. This weekend, we had SO much rain that the creek became a large river! We were shocked at how much water was flowing through our yard! Luckily, the creek is way back there and far from the house--we were never in danger of having our house flooded. Still, it was an amazing sight to see! By the next day, the small trickling creek was back to normal. Nature is so amazing!

Wally World

My daughter and I ended up at Wal-Mart this weekend. I have sort of a love-hate relationship with Wal-Mart. Things I love: convenient, always open, low prices, one-stop shopping and services. Things I hate: crowded, often out of things I need, sometimes spend more money because they have so many different things. I used to shop for all of our groceries here, but it is getting to be a pain to do so. Lately, I have done my grocery shopping at grocery stores--but then I find myself needing a second trip to Wal-Mart because they don't have everything I need at the grocery stores. Sometimes I leave Wal-Mart feeling satisfied, other times I feel frustrated and vow to not return for a while. This weekend, they got our business--and we did pretty well at keeping the cost down, too. I guess this week, I LIKE Wal-Mart! :)

Filming Music Videos

My son and his friends have formed kind of a "garage band"--and now they are filming music videos together! Cool! I don't know how serious they really are--it may go somewhere, or it may not. For now, they are having fun and practicing their skills. I think it is awesome!

TGIF!

My daughter and her friends got together for a small impromto party--nothing big, just a "welcome to the weekend" kind of thing. They had music--they had dancing--they had fun! They are so happy when the weekend arrives--aren't we all? So TGIF everyone! Have a great weekend! :)

Teen Drivers

My son is practicing his driving skills more and more these days. Some of his friends are beginning to turn 16 and getting their drivers licenses. I am getting closer and closer to the day that I will have to let him drive---ALONE! What a scary thought! As I watch his friends drive around, I am always shocked and have to do a double-take to make sure that I saw correctly. Yes--that's right--he just turned 16--now he is driving. So far, my son has not ridden with his friends who can drive, but I expect the issue to come up soon. Teens driving around with other teens in the car--that is even scarier than teens driving alone! I know this is something that I MUST let him do--I need to get used to the idea because the time is arriving soon--soon he can drive alone---soon he can drive his friends--soon he can ride with his friends. I am still having a tough time with this--I better get used to it--it IS happening whether I am ready or not! Teen drivers--I'm still not comfortable about the whole situation!

Giggling Girls

No matter how old they are, when a bunch of girls get together, one thing is bound to happen--GIGGLING! At this age, the one thing that is sure to make them all burst out into laughter together--BOYS! My daughter and her friends were watching some of the neighborhood boys--soon, they ran into the house and burst out laughing. Then they peeked out behind the curtains to see what the boys were doing--then they giggled again. Later, they returned outside and repeated the whole process--talk to the boys, run into the house, giggle, peek out, giggle again, and finally gain composure and return outside again. It is really cute to watch them! Oh, the innocence--wish everything stayed that way!

Studying For Midterms

My son has been studying hard for his midterm exams. So far, he has done well on his tests. My daughter has had some tests as well, but it seems that there is a more regimented exam schedule in high school. After he finished all of the stress of the week, he called his girlfriend--using my phone after 9. I can tell that he really cares for this girl--talking to her really makes him happy. Since he did so well on his exams, and since he didn't run up a big phone bill after all, I gladly let him call her and talk for awhile. I think it may be time for him to have another father-son talk with his dad--if this is getting serious, he needs some more guidance and advice about relationships and dating. I'm not sure, but he may be falling in love--at least as much as you can be at 15. Still, I remember being "in love" at this age--and then falling OUT of love quickly within a few months. I'm not sure exactly what path this is taking, but I do know that talking to this girl after a long week of exams seems to make him feel better--and that's fine with me!

Liking The Bad Boys

After this incident with the "bad boy" that my daughter likes, we had a discussion about things. I was thinking that she would not find this boy as appealing once he became a "troublemaker"--not so. It seems that she likes him even more now! Oh boy! What am I in for in the future? Is she going to be bringing home the boys that "you don't bring home to mother"? Is she going to be attracted to the rebels, the bad boys, the troublemakers? I know--this is a big jump to conclusions, but I do wonder. She used to like the sweet, quiet, blonde surfer boy types. Now, she seems to be more into the dark haired, only wear black wearing, let's do something fun but dangerous types! I don't know how this will manifest itself in the future--will a guy ride up to the house on his Harley, whistle for her, and she scampers out to him--riding off into the sunset and not returning until dawn? OR--will she be my little debutante--expecting a nice young man to greet her at the door, be polite to her parents, use proper etiquette around her, and be the perfect gentlemen? Of course, I would prefer the second type of guy--but will she? I certainly hope so--she should feel like a queen that deserves only the best when it comes to dating. I worry about her self-esteem--I never want her to feel that only a certain kind of guy likes her and she has to settle in some way. There are SO many issues involved in teen dating--I hope I can pass on as much wisdom to her as possible as she enters this stage. I want her to feel strong and confident--I don't want her to take ANY crap from ANY boy--EVER! I hope she doesn't REALLY like "the bad boys"--I hope this is NOT a sign of things to come!

He Is Lucky!

My son realizes how lucky he was that the phone bill wasn't too bad--he was expecting to have to work a long time to pay off a huge bill--he is VERY happy that he only owes $30!! Still, it will be a while before I buy more minutes for his cell phone--he needs to find ways to earn money to pay for his phone usage. He is lucky--I will continue to let him use my cell phone at night and on weekends when it is free--he can't ask for more than that! Son, you got lucky---THIS time!

In School Suspension (ISS)

No, not MY teens--not that it won't ever happen, because it could--but this time I am referring to the boy my daughter likes who was in a fight. Apparently he was "sentenced" to a few days of ISS for fighting. I told my daughter that she would be better off finding a different boy to like--she does like other boys, so I hope she moves on to someone else soon. Not that having ISS automatically makes this boy "bad news"--BUT...I would much rather my daughter hang around the quiet guys who stay out of trouble. If I make too big a deal of this, though, it might make him MORE appealing to her--guess I better keep quiet about it!

What A Relief!

We finally got the bill for my son's long distance calls--it was only $30!! Whew! He dodged a bullet! I was expecting a really high bill--what a relief! From now on, he HAS to be more aware of things like this. He can use my cell phone after 9 and on weekends for free. He can make local calls from home for free. When he refills his cell phone minutes (he FINALLY ran out by calling this girl and texting her!)--when he refills, he can use that, but he needs to use his minutes wisely. He is lucky that it wasn't much higher--and I am really glad, too!

Boys Fighting Over Girls

My daughter has crushes on lots of boys, but there are two that she likes more than others. One of the boys seems to be kind of a trouble-maker. He sometimes gets into trouble by fighting--he told my daughter that he was going to beat up another boy that she likes. I don't think he acted on that--BUT, he did get in trouble for something the other day, and he is known to get into fights. He seems to have a short temper. I told her that she needs to stay away from him--he sounds like trouble! She says that he isn't really bad--he just gets mad a lot. I hope she moves on from this guy soon!

Talking To Teens

My teens don't always talk to me about what's going on with their life, but I do think we have a pretty good line of communication going right now. After my son told me about his long-distance calls, we talked about dating and other things. I think we had a really good discussion--even though he is growing away from me, we still have a good mother-son bond. I know he won't tell me EVERYTHING, but it was nice to have a good two-way conversation with him. Sometimes it feels more one-sided with me just lecturing him--this time it felt more reciprocal. Talking to teens isn't an easy thing to do, but it is SO worthwhile! :)

Daughter's Dream Car

My daughter has always liked VW Beetles. A few years ago, she started talking about green convertible Beetles. She really likes them! I am glad she has a reasonable expectation about cars. My son loves Corvettes--yeah, good luck with that! I love Mustangs--can be reasonable without all of the extras. My daughter loves Beetles--also can be very reasonable. Guess I need to convince my son to like something under 30K! I have to agree with my daughter, though--she would look great behind the wheel of this car some day! :)

Pimp My Ride

My daughter loves to watch the show called Pimp My Ride. Sometimes they have some really cool cars! I remember one time they put a cute chandelier and other pretty things in a girl's car. They sometimes do crazy things--like put tvs in odd places. It is fun to watch them take a junky car and make it amazing! Most of us can't do things on the scale that they do on the show, but it does show some good ideas to maybe approximate anyway. My daughter is getting a lot of good ideas even though she is years away from driving. It is fun to watch this show!

Free Weekends With Verizon

My son was very apologetic about running up the home phone bill. My husband and I both have Verizon Wireless, and we both have free weekends on our plan. We decided to let our son use our phones this weekend--sometimes his and sometimes mine. As long as it's free, we don't mind him calling the girl--it's just the big phone bills we want to avoid. He was very happy, and he explained to her what happened and why he won't be calling her as much when she goes out of town. I think all is well--I just hope our home phone bill doesn't turn out to be too high! So far, our Verizon bills are fine--the free time on nights and weekends helps a lot. Teenagers and telephones--an interesting combination!

Game Stop

My son loves to shop at Game Stop. He usually is only able to buy things when he has birthday or Christmas money, but he still likes to look and get ideas for the next time he has some money. Right now, he not only is out of money, but he is going to owe some money on phone bills. Needless to say, he won't be buying games for a while. Still, he loves to just look around. I let him do that while I went to the grocery store. I picked him up afterward, and of course he wanted to tell me about the latest and greatest games and game systems. I just quietly listened, but I couldn't help but think that he is going to be out of luck on this for a while. We have come to a point in life where I am not sure if I will be purchasing many more video games for him--he will be 16 on his next birthday, and I think, at that point, he should get a job to pay for these things. When he does begin working, driving, dating, etc., I am almost positive that he will think of better things to spend his money on than video games! I am nearing a time where I won't know what the latest and greatest games are--he will soon be grown and I will NOT be purchasing video games for my grown son! To be honest, I am kind of ready to leave this all behind--it started when he was 5 and received his first Game Boy--he got a few games for that in the next few years--then a Nintendo 64 when he was 7--more games--Game Boy Color when he was 8--more games--PS2 when he was 11--more games--Nintendo DS when he was 13--more games. If he gets anything else, I think it should be out of his pocket--and I'm not sure if he will want to do that or not. The time has come for the video game gifts to stop! Enough is enough! In the next few years, he will need his own computer, he might want an updated I-pod, and he will definitely want an updated cell phone. I would much rather spend money on those things than on video games! So son, shop all you want, but know this--video games are something you have to purchase yourself now. And I can bet that, once you have to spend your own money, you won't think they are so worth it anymore!

Long Distance Call!

The day after my son had the "Speaker Phone Date," he confessed to me that his girlfriend had been out of town and the call was long distance! I had been okay with it if it was local, but long distance can add up on our home phone! Actually, we never make long distance calls on our home phone--we usually use our cell phones on weekends when it is free--usually. So he was shocked to learn that it would possibly cost a lot to talk long distance from home! I won't know until next month how much he ran our bill up, but I am glad for one thing--at least he didn't use my cell phone minutes. If he had gone over my limit, it is about 45 cents for every minute over. I think we have a 10 cents a minute home phone plan (long distance). It could be high, but not near as high as if he had used my cell phone. It turns out that he did this more than one day, too--so it could add up! I just hope it isn't too bad--he will definitely have to do some things to work off this bill! I guess teenagers and high phone bills are a common occurrence--still, it is always a shock to the parents when they get the bill! And it is also common for teens to have to work to pay for their high phone bills! Guess he better get to work!

Speaker Phone Dating?

The other day I observed my son going about his usual afternoon activities, but this time he was on the phone. He wasn't just on the phone, he was using the speaker phone. He seemed to be sharing everything he was doing with his girlfriend through the phone. They watched tv together, they ate together, they played video games together---all through the speaker phone. It was kind of like a date, but not. I guess this is the new version of dating--kind of virtual in some ways. Oh well--it all seemed innocent enough, so I was okay with it. Anyone who wants to call me can reach me on my cell phone, so it all worked out fine. It was kind of creative, I guess--spending time together through the phone. It was kind of cute! :)

Is It Love?

From what I remember from my teen years and what I observe in my two teens, being in love when you are young is vastly different from mature love. They seem quick to say the words "I love you" but are far from ready to truly commit to someone. Young love means: I really like being with you, I want to be with you often, and I really enjoy talking to you as much as possible. There is a sweet innocence to it at this point--love notes are written, hearts are drawn with initials inside, love is declared on the phone, and small gestures such as hugs and kisses are shared. If only it could stay this innocent until they were ready for the next step, everything would be fine. Unfortunately, teens often jump into committed relationships and intimacy way before they are ready. I am watching my teens as they enter the innocent stage, and I am fearing the next stage. We have talked about many things and will continue to do so. I have told them about protecting themselves, both physically and emotionally. I truly worry about their emotional well-being as much as their physical well-being. I worry about broken hearts or getting too serious when they are too young as much as I worry about other things. Right now, my teens are still in that innocent stage--they seem to be enjoying it and I enjoy watching it from afar. I know it WILL move into the next stage--I just hope it goes very slowly and doesn't arrive until they are truly mature enough to handle it. Until then, they are both experiencing "love" on a more innocent level--I hope it stays that way a long, long time!

Let's Be Friends

My teens have either said that or have been told that at one point or another--usually in response to a confessed crush or a break-up. It's never easy to hear those words when you were hoping for something more. Still, it is better than becoming enemies, right? I have noticed that my son especially begins relationships with girls by saying that they are just friends. Usually, that grows into more and suddenly they become his girlfriend. After they break up, they are once again friends. I don't know if that will always happen--it is sometimes hard to remain friends with an ex. But I do think relationships that start as friendships is a good foundation. Hearing the words "Let's be friends" can be a good thing! :)