“Mum, really. You’ve been a mother for 19 years. It’s time you got your shit together.”
Another rewarding conversation with my teenager. Provoked, admittedly, by my sarcastic comment about the laundry slave having been too busy earning money to find time to distribute the washed and dried items to their correct location… i.e. his bedroom. Read more…
Finally, vindication. Vindication for being the nagging-est mother in Canada. Vindication for being the cause of all those sighs and rolling eyes every time I brought up the subject of table manners.
Because, you see, Youngest Child had a cosmic culinary awakening this week when meeting his girlfriend’s parents for the first time. Desperate, of course, to make a good first impression, he suddenly realized the benefits of all that nagging over the years. “Sit up straight, elbows off the table.” “Hold your knife and fork properly.” “Put them together when you’re finished.” “Use your napkin.” Read more…
The title may indicate an action-packed weekend in our household but, just like Ian Dury’s notorious lyrics, it’s been a lot tamer than it sounds.
Sex: Youngest Child has a new lady friend, one whom he ‘stole’ from one of his best friends. Lots of junior high drama followed, of course, which I have heard about in great gory detail. I was even asked for advice, which is so outside of my current parenting parameters it’s not funny. Neither OC nor MC would EVER discuss such details with me; indeed would squirm at any topic that vaguely touches on sex or relationships. Read more…
This week, two of them are earning money and one is spending money, so I suppose we’re heading in the right direction. Oldest Child has started his summer job; the first time he’s had an office job and has earned any sort of significant amount above minimum wage. Let’s hope it’s a trend. Read more…
Apparently, recent research shows that fifty-something women have landed the most jobs since the start of the recession. Women aged between 50 and 64 have fared better than men and any other age group during the crisis and are the ones getting most of the available jobs. This demographic has also been dubbed the “Madonna generation”, as they are more likely to view Madonna than Grandma Grey as a role model. Read more…
What a cute, brotherly bonding moment. Within eight days of each other, Middle Child (16) and Step-Son (25) both got speeding tickets… at EXACTLY the same location in the city. Same lane, same part of the intersection. We are so proud. And have the matching police photos as a souvenir.
So within three months of turning 16, MC has managed to clock up both an expensive little fender-bender and a speeding ticket. Nice. I have said for many years that out of all my kids, he was the one I was most worried about when it came to driving, as he’s always been a “live life at full speed” kind of guy. Turns out I was right. And what the heck happened to his promise to “drive like a granny” after his accident in January? Grrrrr. Read more…
I learn far more about Middle Child’s life from my friend Anne than I ever do from him. Anne is one of my fellow car-pooling soccer moms but, unlike mine, her car seems to be a place of teenage disclosures and lively conversation. At least when it comes to my son.
I have no idea what she does to prompt such revelations. I’ve tried. Sometimes I’ll sit and stay quiet for the entire journey, hoping that the boys will forget that I’m there and conversation will flow. Nothing. I’ve tried introducing some conversational gambits to help stimulate their vocal chords. Nothing. They remain resolutely plugged in to their tunes. And it doesn’t even work in reverse; it’s not like her boy opens up when he’s in my car. So I can only assume that Anne is…. The Teen Whisperer. Read more…
I am a big fan of child labour. Get ‘em out to work early and get ‘em earning money. I’m only half joking.
Finding a summer job is a topic of some discussion in our household at the moment. Oldest Child knows he has to, Middle Child (by far the most materialistic of the three) is desperate to, and Youngest Child has no apparent desire to at all. Read more…
I think I may have finally reached the pinnacle of my motherhood. My two younger boys are on spring break this week. Awash with motherly guilt about having to work while they are off school and hanging at home, last night I asked Youngest Child if there was anything he wanted to do this week as I was quite prepared to take a day off work to spend some time with him. Read more…
The Provincials weekend at the Days Inn has come and gone. The jacuzzi tub was great. The soccer? Not so much. The boys did not win the provincial title and were absolutely gutted. Middle Child walked out of the medal ceremony, thrust his bronze medal towards me and said, “Here, take this. I never want to see it again.” Sore loser? You bet. As uber-competitive athletes, they were all hurting and humiliated. Not living up to expectations is a bitter pill to swallow. Read more…
