My Kids Are Growing Up!

It just hit me all in one week! I'm looking for a preschool to send my youngest to. I haven't been home without a kid for 14 years! My oldest was picking out her elective classes for high school yesterday! I don't feel like I'm old enough to have a high schooler! I'm NOT that old, am I? She's choosing computer and art classes. She also has to take a pool class, which they now call "aquatics", a basic computer class, and freshman seminar. She's so excited and definitely ready to go. It's a huge school. In fact, the school in split up into two buildings, one for 9th/10 grade, the other for 11/12 grade, with about 700 kids per grade. She even started looking for a summer job this week. She's applying at the zoo and Rita's Italian Ice. (Does anyone have know anywhere else you can get a job at 14?) You see your kids everyday. Sometimes you don't realize how much they've grown. Well, last night I was watching TV with my daughter and looked up at her and this is what I saw! Oh my gosh! She's so big!

Also last night, my 7 year old was getting ready for bed and asked me:

"Mom, when I get old, can I come and live with you?"

"Sure you can!", I said. And I really meant it, even I know HE won't want to when he gets old.

He clapped his hands together and said, "YES!".

Then he asked me if my mom will be living with us, too. I told him, "You'd like that, huh?"

He said, "That would be funny. 'Baba, Gaga (my dad, who is 82 years old now), it's time to get up!' ".

Yes, he still thinks my parents will be around then.

Later on last night, my 3-year old got out of bed:

"Mom, I don't want to get any bigger, but I keep getting bigger!"

"OK! We'll figure out something to do about that in the morning!"

"It's not going to work!"

"Time for bed!"

My 11-year old is growing up, also. He's grown into that, "I'm a cool middle schooler" age. I'm hoping this will end soon!

Raising Teens in a Tough World

I mentioned before that I think it's harder raising kids today. Part of the reason is all the influences in the media and with their friends. There's so many bad examples out there for kids to see. It seems like I write so much about my 14 year old, but I guess it's because she's my main concern now. She's a pretty good girl, but at 14, she's at such an influential age. I'm trying so hard to make sure she stays good, though, I admit, sometimes she still does disappoint me.

Yesterday I took she and her friend to a movie. Her friend wanted to stop off at her house to pick up some money. Her dad forgot to leave her key outside, so she couldn't get in. She called her dad and YELLED at him. At first I didn't do anything about it. Then she kept yelling. "Where's my Key? Well thanks a lot dad! Now your going to have to give her mom $20!" It went on for a while. My eyes got wide. After she got off the phone, she kept talking bad about him. I asked her if she still could go to the movies (because my daughter wouldn't have been allowed to after that). She said she could. Then I asked her if she ever gets grounded. I told my daughter, "You know what I'm getting at." My daughter said, "I'd be grounded." That's right! My daughter's friend said she doesn't get grounded very often, and when she does, she just doesn't speak to him until he let's her off.

I always liked this friend of my daughter's. I think she's a good friend for her, but boy was I surprised to hear her treat her dad like that! I hate for my daughter (and my 3 year old in the backseat) to hear this kind of talk! I didn't think I should just sit there and listen to it without saying anything. She's in my car. I know if she was saying bad words, I wouldn't allow that in my car.

I decided to turn this into a learning experience for my daughter. Later on , when her friend was gone, I told my daughter, "If you ever talked to me like that!...". Then I told her, "Just think. Someday you have a sweet little daughter, she calls you up YELLING at you because you forgot to leave her key outside?" My daughter replied, "I'd slap her face!" OK, she definitely agreed with me. Later that night, when we were watching our Gilmore Girls, she said to me, "I can't believe how she talked to her dad!" I'm glad I made a big deal out of this. It is a big deal, and I don't want my kids to ever talk like this. Sometimes they do say things that I get mad about, but I stop right there and nip it in the bud. I'd never let it continue.

On a lighter note, this is what hubby made for me on Christmas Eve. I told him how much I liked the peppermint mocha's from Starbucks, so he looked up the recipe online and bought all the ingredients. He couldn't find the peppermint syrup, so he just bought creme de mint syrup instead and put green sprinkles on it instead of the red. It was really good. I was impressed! That's pretty romantic for him!

Here's how he made it:

Creme de Mint Mochas

Heat 8 oz. milk in mug.
Add 2 spoons cocoa mix.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons creme de mint syrup.
Fill the rest of your mug with strong coffee or espresso.
Top with whipped cream and sugar sprinkles.

Happy Birthday Mr. Bus Driver!

Today is my daughter's bus driver's birthday. Normally a day we wouldn't know about or even care about, but his birthday is one the kids on his bus WANT to celebrate.

Being a bus driver isn't the most glamorous job, isn't the highest paid, but my daughter's bus driver obviously is happy to have it, and the kids are happy to have him! It's a huge responsibility and involves TONS of patience.

He says good morning to every kid who gets on and goodbye to every kid who gets off. Most of the school's bus drivers assign seats to the kids, not him. That's so important to middle schooler's who are usually not speaking to someone and who have a new best friend every week! He's very patient. At one of the stops, he waits every morning for one of the kids to walk all the down the street to the stop and get on the bus. My daughter asked him, "Doesn't that bother you? Waiting for her every morning?" "Nope, not at all!", he replied. He doesn't flinch with the screaming kids. He is the ONLY bus driver who will allow the kid's friends to ride home on his bus. The parents like that. Then we don't have to drive our kids to their friends house after school.

About a week ago, my daughter said that it was her birthday that weekend and (by the way) when was his birthday. He said it was December 10. She went around to all the kids on the bus collecting just $1 each. Some kids gave more than $1, like $5 and even $8! Some kids none at all. But after a few days she collected almost $30 and is going to buy him a gift certificate for his favorite restaurant - The Olive Garden. I'm sure it's a place he doesn't get to visit very often, living on a bus driver's salary. The kids are going to sing Happy Birthday to him. I'm glad he's going to know how much he's appreciated. Only one little flaw. Daughter's sick today! Oh, well. They'll celebrate it tomorrow. He'll be even more surprised then! Happy Birthday Mr. Bus Driver!

Happy Birthday!

Today was my daughter's birthday. She turned 14. It's hard to believe I'm now the mother of a 14 year old! I remember going to the hospital early in the morning on December 1, 1993. I knew I was going to have the baby, but when I actually DID have her I thought, "OMG! I just had a baby!" It was the best day of my life. I cried so hard that when I called my mom, she thought the baby had died!

I've heard so many people say, "Just wait til they become teenagers!". I have to say I agreed with that, but only for a very short time with her. I think when she first entered middle school, she tested the boundaries a little. She was trying to find a place to fit in. I nipped that in the bud! Now, in 8th grade, she is very sure of herself, has lots of friends (nice ones), gets the best grades she ever had, and is a very good girl.

I love her being a teenager. I'm a little sad to see her grow up, but I have 3 younger kids to still watch grow up. Now she's old enough to have lots of conversations with me. We like to watch the same tv shows and movies. She's like my best friend! "Just wait til they become teenagers" has a great connotation for me.

We got her a digital camera and let her have about 10 people over for a party. They all had a great time. It's a good thing we have a basement, though. We put them down there and shut the door tight! They were SO loud! Now I'm letting two of the girls sleep over. I just hope they sleep and don't keep me up. It was a great day, and these supposedly difficult teen years are only getting better.

Hi everyone! I'm mommy to 4 great kids. I have a daughter 13, son 11, son 7, and daughter 3. Each one has such different personalities! I love their differences. I now understand why people would always tell me, "Just wait till they become teenagers!" I found out why.

I like sharing what works for me and hearing ideas from other parents about their favorite tips.

The current discussion in our house is Myspace! I hate it! Don't get me wrong. I completely understand why kids want it and would probably want it too if I was a teenager today. My daughter wants one and I finally gave in. Did you ever go on your kids myspace? I had a heart attack! Hers was fine but other kids post the most terrible things. After much pleading, daughter promised she would have only 4 friends, she would not look at her friends' friends' sites, I will look at it whenever I want, and if her friends post anything obsene it's done. I actually like what one of her friend's mother did about it. She has her own myspace and he is her #1 friend. She is also his #1 friend. She can look at his anytime she wants to. What kid would post something inappropriate with his mother's picture looking down at him from his #1 spot? My husband thinks I'm crazy for letting her. We'll see what happens!