My word... how time flies. It doesn't seem like THAT long ago that I was growing out my asymmetrical haircut, forgiving my best friend for kissing the boy I liked, and packing up my circulation-constricting-impossible-to-actually-walk in boots. (As a funny side note here, a few days ago my best friend asked me if I had ever let the BOY know that I liked him. It seems quite silly now, but I never did! My best friend and I didn't speak to each other for SIXTEEN YEARS and the boy never knew why we had a fight!) Now, here I am being the mother of teenagers. Miah graduated from the ninth grade this week. When he goes back to school in the fall, he will not only be a high school sophomore, but he'll also be a student at Weber State University. (He's attending the Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering and Science, which is an early college charter high school.) How did I get old enough to be the mother of a college student?!? As if that wasn't bad enough, Erin starts school in the fall as a high school freshman.
Nothing fills a mother with as much pride as realizing it's her child and his friends gathering up the balloons
to suck the helium out of after the graduation ceremony.
So, we are embarking on the dramatic, tumultuous times that are being a teen. And my children - just like all of us that went before them, and all of those who will follow after them - are up to their elbows in angst-filled theatrics. It is really difficult as an adult to remember just how overwhelmingly important and significant every little word spoken or gesture made can be. It's even harder as a parent to let them struggle through and find their way, instead of just solving their problems for them. Luckily, our "problems" right now revolve around the big group of friends and their entertainment choices, (Erin doesn't like to just sit and watch movies, and Erin has never been known to be tactful and quiet about what she thinks, so she complained, which hurt one friend's feelings, who said something that hurt Erin's feelings, which brought out the big brother in Miah, who said something else that re-hurt already tender feelings, and then something else got said, someone else didn't want to do something else.....) but to the children, this is a huge life-altering problem. All I can think as the texts are whizzing back and forth are two things: 1 - This too shall pass, and you can all stay friends and it's really not as big a deal as it has turned into. Keep your chins up and put your smiles back on! There is a reason you are all friends, and if you keep that reason in sight, the rest becomes trivial. 2 - I am SO glad I'm not a teenager anymore!
As you can see, Miah just adores having his photo taken. Luckily his (not yet, as neither of them are sixteen yet, but they are soon-to-be)girlfriend finally smiled so we could get an almost decent shot of them together at the ice cream party at the friend's house after graduation!
With the approach of the summer, Erin is going through a restless time herself. One thing that has always filled that need for change in her is to change her hair. We have a great friend named Nicole that does hair, who is willing to come over to our house and indulge Erin's whim. I have to confess that this month she indulged mine as well. I was shopping at the local Shopko not very long ago, when the cashier - who was an older dame - asked me if I had my AARP card with me. When I informed her that I am "ONLY 35!" she replied with, "When my daughter finally got her card, she was so excited to get the discount, she didn't even lie about her age or anything." So, not only did she think I looked like a senior citizen... she also thought I was a liar to boot! Hrmph! Needless to say, I decided it was time to say goodbye to my grey hair, despite claiming through the entirety of my twenties that I was never going to be "one of THOSE people who can't accept their aging with grace." Oh, to remain so idealistic!
Erin has so much hair! By the time Nicole got done weaving and foiling, it looked like Erin had twelve pounds of aluminum on her dome! I, of course, informed her that it would help with the reception to her home world. Either that, or it would keep her head insulated if there were a supernova or nuclear attack eminent. Yeah, she thinks I'm funny.
2 comments:
ok... i admit. i laughed and laughed over this. I just wanna tell them ALL how stupid the whole thing is. I am glad that boys are not as dramatic as girls. i really do like the teenager stage...but the drama! it is so funny when i hear them say, "I don't know how I am going to get through this", etc. I'm like... "pull up your big girl panties... it's not that bad! seriously!" lol! (was I THAT dramatic? hmmm, i don't think so... no, not me... tee hee)
No, please stop time!! Miah can't really be that old, and Erin I love the Alien look, I use it myself about every eight weeks or so . . .
They are both such great kids, can't wait to see all of you!
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