Life With Teens

We’ve got two teenagers in the house now. It’s a much different experience than I was anticipating and I have to say that, for the most part, I am pleased.

While we seemed to have escaped door slamming,  and “I hate you”s, we do have loud music and constant texting.  Of course, there is the whole issue of dealing with the opposite sex.

Mostly we limit Pumpkin Girl’s contact with boys by keeping her locked up at the ballet studio with mostly girls, for hours at a time.  So any free range boys that come sniffing at our door will turn away in search of greener pastures.  So to speak.

Of course, she went and made friends with the three boys that are her age that dance at her studio.  Two of them are part of her Game Night Group – five friends who take turns going to each other’s houses, emptying the fridge and causing a ruckus, all while the host parents keep a watchful eye to make sure that are no shenanigans.  Though most of them are homeschoolers, so their idea of a wild night is playing both Carcasonne and Settlers of Catan in the same night.

Our turn to host Game Night is this weekend and we are laying in a supply of food that will feed a small army.  Five teens, coming directly from all day dance rehearsals – I just hope we have enough food.  Hmm, might want to get air freshener, too.

Meanwhile Boo is driving.  He’s still got his permit until  he gets enough driving hours to get a license.  We paid a local driving school big money to sit next to his novice self so that we don’t have to.  We drop him off and go home, while he drives around town, going exactly the speed limit for two hours.  Last week they let him on the freeway.  I was at home, softly humming that song from “Jesus Christ, Superstar'”- “Don’t you know everything’s alright, yes, everythings’s fine”.  I almost believed it.

(Actually, Phil tells me that Boo is a good driver.  I’ll just have to take his word for it.)

You know what?  Other than messy rooms and the occasional eye roll, we’re enjoying the ride.  Helping our kids reach important milestones, helping them navigate through life, getting to know their friends  – it’s all good, nothing but love.  We wouldn’t have it any other way.

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