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Monday, August 31, 2009

I wanna be a 60s child

Jennifer is pretty frustrated she was born in 1993, making her 16 this next Saturday.

She'd rather the birthday read something like 1943, making her in her 20s during the love, sex and rock and roll 60s.

We had just finished watching the History Channel's take on Woodstock, and we were both impressed, both with Woodstock and the 60s in general.

But I had to remind her, that one of the reasons that Woodstock came together was that little "police action" known as the Vietnam War. And then there was the assassination of the Kennedy brothers, racial violence, war protests and the Manson family.

True, it was the era of change, of shaking things up, of when all things (including walking on the moon) were possible and I think that's what appeals to her most.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Birthday plans

They keep a changing for her 16th.

First it was going to be a full blown party, then a party with 2-3 friends, and now one friend, with a day trip planned to seattle. No play, no makeup party, just a trip up to shop, eat and while the day away.

Oh, and can I have a car?

You've been watching reality TV too much (those sweet 16 parties that the very rich throw is one of her faves) and no, you're not getting a new jag rolling up to the front door of our 1968 rambler.

But grandma has donated $500 toward the cause. We have about $2000 saved up from Gary's retirement check and an uncle may donate some more. So maybe late this fall she'll get her car. A used car with prob. a lot of miles on it. No jag. Unless we win the megamillions this friday, and still then, prob. no jag (too much maintenance)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

She got on the jv volleyball team

Yeah. I was hoping she would.

Of course, as she explains it, it sounds like they will call her in for a specific spot (digging in the back) and then she's out again.

Oh well, if she's happy, I'm happy. Although I still wish she'd take up soccer instead of v-ball, given her 5.2 height. With soccer, there would be no question she'd be on varsity. But she's just not going that route. Even her dad as given up with the argument.

Checks, and more checks

It was registration day at my daughter's high school yesterday, and all I seemed to be good for is writing the checks.

Yearbook...$60. $63 if you wanted a name plate

ASB card...That will be $130 please. $50 for a replacement if you lose it.

Sports card...(yes, there is a difference) $30

PTSA...$15

And if we want a discount to all the games all year long, a family pass if you will that will be $180.

And this doesn't count the $$ for the school clothes shopping and the school supplies.

That sucking sound you here is my bank account.,


Sunday, August 23, 2009

What a grouch

Waking up the daughter is hazardous business, esp. when you're asking her to do her chores (in this case, clean up the dinner dishes).

So she comes out and gets it down, grumbles when I try to give her a hug and stomps into the TV room to switch the tv off my program (had to take the dog for a walk anyway) and watch Miami...social, or some such reality tv show where people with way too much $$ and time are followed around by camera.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Touch phones

Gary and Jennifer were busy arguing over which new upgrade to get on the I-phones last night. She actually had poached the upgrade I was supposed to get,and transferred it to her phone. Thanks. What if I want apps someday?

But transfer she did, and now she has a phone that can have apps (she'll have to pay for them out of her allowance) and pay an extra $20 for the upgraded phone, which still has keyboard for her texting fetish.

However, surprisingly, she's getting tired of texting, she said. She just likes talking on the phone now.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Blah, blah blah

You know the Charlie Brown cartoons, where the adults are talking to the kids and it's all "blah, blah, blah"

There's some truth to this I learned.

My entirely honest daughter, as I was gushing on about some History Channel flick, finally turned from her computer and said "mom, I've tuned you out. I have no interest in what you're saying."

So I cut to the chase, and her eyes showed a flicker of interest, before she turned back to her Zune downloads.

Over lunch today (we split a cheeseburger) she mentioned that when people yammer at her too much or nag, she tunes them out. Happens with her dad alot, she added.

Seeing my look she said "I know it sounds mean, but it's the truth, that's what I do."

Well, at least she let's me know when she's about to flip the switch.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Social Media attacks again

After a bit of a hiatus, the social media bug has bit my daughter again.

It's been about a year since she last begged for a MySpace page, noting that I was on every social media product known (from Facebook, to this blog to Twitter). Sure enough, was my reply, but I'm almost 50 and you're almost 16. There's a diff.

Not in her eyes.

Of course not a whit of this conversation is taking place in front of her father, he seems to hate social media with a passion when it comes to his daughter. Now when she was 12, 13, or even 14, I admit, too young to have the common sense on what to post and what not, and what is basically and invite to the pervs on MySpace saying "come find me!"

But in a few weeks she'll be 16, and not that she's totally aware, but in 2 years, she'll be 18, and won't be asking my or Gary's permission anymore. I'm leaning toward guiding her now (don't put bikini shots, your home address, real age or name and announce when you're going to be at a football game), but do chat with ONLY friends you've actually met at school. No friends of friends.

But GAry's just not buying it.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Now what?

To my surprise, Gary actually let Anthony drive Jennifer home last from his house (on the back roads, 5 min away as it turns out).

He wanted to meet Gary. Gary, tired, asked if this momentous event could wait to the weekend. Apparently, not.

So we quickly cleaned up the house, just in time for the two lovebirds to appear on our porch and walk in the door.

I introduced Anthony and Gary. Then we just sort of looked at each other. Usually, when there is another parental unit in the room, we can strike up a conversation and ignore the kids. But I was getting the feeling, to his credit, that A. wanted to make a good impression and a connection with G.

We didn't have any iced tea or pop ready, and no dessert (again, this was last minute).

So after a bit, he smiled and he and J. went out to chat on the porch.

"Was he expecting us to invite him in and have something to eat?" I asked later.

I'm afraid by the look Jennifer gave me, apparently so.

The problems of the pretty people

I didn't know how to advise my daughter in this, as she sat and bemoaned the fact that it isn't always easy being popular and pretty.

(Since I was neither in high school, this was a bit beyond my reach, like questions on 00 sized jeans)

"Since I've been dating anthony, all these other guys have been calling me up, asking me if I'd like to go out," she said, as she perched on the counter, watching me clean up the kitchen (wait, isn't this her chore?)

"Guys generally like what they don't have," I said.

"Yeah, I know," she pouted prettily

"Listen, you're with anthony for now, be with him, and if this doesn't work out, you have back ups..assuming that these guys texting you are not jerks."

Ah, the problems of the beautiful people.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Size 00

My daughter popped out of the dressing room, complaining that the pants she tried on were too loose. They were size 0.

So up to Southcenter we went, to the A/E there, and found the 00s.

They fit perfectly. Jennifer caught my glance. OK, how much do you weight right now? She guessed about 107, which is 5 lbs lower than last we visited the docs.

She went to b-ball camp and broke up with a boyfriend, so that accounts for some of the loss. But still 00?

"Well, you were skinny when you were my age (true), and what size did you wear?"

I don't think they had 00 then.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

What are you doing up so late?

Of late, my daughter has been a bit of a night owl.

So again, this am, when I heard her rattling around her bathroom, and annoyed I was up too, I poked my head in.

"Jennifer, I thought I told you to get to bed my midnight. It's 2 am!"

"Mom, one of my friends told me about the meteor shower tonight, I wanted to stay up and see it."

So what are you going to say to that. I gave my blessing to keep staring at the sky and went back to bed.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Bushel and a peck

Jennifer and I were watching Julie and Julia last night when the "Bushel and a Peck" song from Guys and Dolls came on.

"Mom," she said after the movie, which we loved, and were determined to buy butter and celebrate Julie. "That's the song you used to sing to me when I was little."

Was indeed. And my mom sang it to me, tho I just remembered the first verse "I love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck."

But the entire song was sang during Julia. Very cool to hear.

We'll prob. be humming it as we cook with butter tomorrow night. We'll probably stick to desserts and skip the lobster scene tho.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Rod who?

Maybe she still ticked at the front lawn scene mentioned below, but jennifer has rejected going with us to Rod Stewart tonight. Even tho the tickets are free (given away by 106.9 in a teddy bear swap)

Her response was "boring" and "Rod who?"

Answer your phone

"Next time you'd better be dead or in a coma, but that's the only reason I'm accepting for not answering our phones or pages."

This rant, directed at our daughter in the front yard of our home at about 10 pm last night, was also in front of her boyfriend (I guess you can call him that now) and his entire family.

Jennifer started to do her usual rebuttal, but then took one look at my face and, surprisingly shut up.

The beginning of this saga began about 3 hours earlier, when the young couple had gotten bored at the Kent STation offerings, and Anthony's mom decided to pick 'em up and take them out to a soccer game withe her in Tukwila.

Fine. But as the hour hand started to creep by 9 pm, and Jennifer stopped answering her texts. We began to worry and kick ourselves.

We hadn't asked for an ETA, but it was assumed it would be sometime around 9 pm. We also realized that we didn't have Anthony's cell, or know the name of his mom (remarried) or her cell. In other words, no way to track her down if we had to.

Gary was just putting on his shoes to go to said Tukwila soccer field, grumbling that our darling daughter would be sorry (after he found her alive) when he showed up, when finally the home phone rang. It was the awol daughter, saying she'd be home in 10 minutes.

So I sat out on the porch, (yes, I really did), and rehearsed by lines when the SUV pulls up. I give them my contact info, introduce myself and try not to sound too much like a crazy mom. And I must note, they did seem like a nice family. As you'll notice, Gary's not in the picture, he's gone to bed, knowing I'd do enough chewing for both of us.

Later, I explained to Jennifer that given this relationship was soo new (like last week) and we hadn't met the parents yet, she really, really needed to have the phone at hand, and not drop it in the bowels of her purse.You have 2 former cop reporters as parents, you'll just have to live with our natural paranoia, as she started to protest.

Otherwise, she was grounded next time when we text her 3x and call her 4, and no answer.

I could tell she was about to say something.

"One more word and you're grounded now."

Silence.


Thursday, August 6, 2009

Will this work if the pull date was 1998?

That was the question that I was asking myself as Jennifer and I peered into the medicine closet at 3:30 am this morning.

She'd woken me up, complaining of a bug bite that just was itching so much, she couldn't sleep. She if she can't sleep, why should mom?

Benadryl? Well, that had a pull date of 2007. The calamine lotion. Dated 1998. Antibiotics from 5 years ago when I had the flu, and from 3 years ago when Jennifer had the flu.

I tried to remember the dear abby remedy of baking soda (or is it powder) and vinegar. But when you put those two together, it foams up. Meanwhile in the background, Jennifer is still itching, and now Gary's up, insisting there is some current benedryl in the cabinet. (no, there wasn't).

Finally, I tell her to try the lotion, and didn't say it was 10 years out of date. It worked, or at least got her back to sleep.

This weekend tho, that medicine cabinet gets restocked and the old stuff thrown out.


Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Yes, I have to meet him

Jennifer is so over Leif. And now it's apparently on to Anthony.

He's a sophomore, looks Greek or Italian and from Auburn Mountainview hs (I didn't know inter-school dating was allowed)

And they are on date #2 tonight, watching "the proposal" So we met down at the Kent AMC, with strict instructions that she now go anywhere in his car, and they stay at Kent Station. AND I had to meet him first.

Insert appalled look from daughter here. But that was the deal. Any creepy vibes, she was going home with me.

"You can't tell me your parents did this with you!" she whined.

"Well, actually they didn't."

"Aha!"

"They made the young man come to the house first, meet them both and come in chat with them a bit....every single guy who wanted to take me out, so consider yourself lucky."

"Any chance you could just drop me off and wave as he walks up."

The silence was her answer.

As it was Anthony had a firm handshake and looked me in the eye, so he passed that test at least.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Sometimes I'm too tired

To be a chauffeur.

Such as tonight, when Jennifer wanted to go with a friend to a bonfire in east Auburn.

The answer was no. No good reason, I just wanted to give the taxi service rest.

Mom, it can't have hurt that much!

Jennifer and I had a go at parakeet rescue last week, during the heat wave, when I managed to spill her entire Starbucks drink onto the drive way, and saying a few choice words, marched back into the house to get a paper towel to clean it up.

When I came out, a parakeet was in the middle of it, helping himself and didn't seem to have any intention of flying away.

I finally caught the bird, who was happily snacking away on our lilac tree, when it first went limp (oh gawd, I killed it) and them promptly bit me. Dammit.

It flew away into the nearby pine trees, and finally flew down, only to have the neighborhood cat swallow it whole (or try). Jennifer rushed over and told fat millie to "drop it" which, surprisingly, she did.

The slime-covered bird looked dead, but when Jennifer handed it over to Gary, it promptly bit him. Back up into the pine trees it went.

Eventually we found the owners, who came to look. No bird. But finally Jennifer spotted it again, sleeping on the ground (not wise for a cat-heavy neighborhood like ours). She picked it up with the towel (which it constantly tried to chew through) and gave it back to the Latino family down the street.

The young man took it, it tried to bite him. But he couldn't chew through the callouses. Back into the cage he went.

Next time we try to rescue a bird, Jennifer lectured, suck it up and keep a hold of it.