I just realized that today is the 10th.
I don't intend to revive the 10-on-the-10th party, but I do think a list is in order today so get ready for some randomness...
1. Today is a SNOW DAY for us. We got several inches of snow yesterday--our first big snow of 2011 and our first snow day of the school year. I'm happy to be home with my family today. Who doesn't love a three-day weekend?
2. I've enjoyed sleeping in the past three mornings. I feel like a teenager again. It's been years since I've been able to sleep in like that.
3. Parenting teenage boys is HARD. I'm struggling in some big ways right now. To make matters worse, John and I are on completely different sides of the parenting fence. We've had some really tough days and some tougher conversations. Ugh. It almost makes me miss toddlerhood. Almost.
4. I'm thankful for friends who "get" me. I'm thankful for Girls' Night Out and long hikes (through deep snow) and for laughter and free "therapy".
5. I got the information this week about getting Will registered for HIGH SCHOOL next fall. I think I prefer to live in denial than to acknowledge that I have a child entering high school in seven months. Ugh. How did that happen?
6. I think I talk too much.
7. I'm addicted to Sodoku. I even bought a package of pencil-top erasers at Staples last week because of my stupid addiction. I can rarely work one without having to erase and start over.
8. I keep hearing rumors that Verizon is getting an iPhone in the next few weeks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that those rumors are true.
9. Abbey asked if she could write a thank you note to Santa. Of course I said YES. Her note was super cute, and in it she also thanked Mrs Claus and the elves and the reindeer. I secretly kept it and am going to save it for her to read one day, but it basically said: Thanks, Santa. You rock!!! Santa totally came through for her this year. He gets way too much credit if you ask me. Smile.
10. I'm working on something fun today. More on that later.
Sounds like a lot of you have a snow day today too. Enjoy!!!
Peace out, peeps.
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11 comments:
I sympathize on the teenage boy front. Mine is a freshman this year and will be 15 in March. I really thought that I would miss out on the drama and the hormonal stuff since I don't have a girl. Boy was I wrong! I just keep thinking about what sort of man I want to see in another 10 years and praying that what I'm doing today will help him get there.
I know, know ,KNOW you know this, but that teenage stage is gone quickly. Like the wind, I am telling you.
Then they are grown up, join the Air Force to become firefighters, travel to Afganistan to a combat zone, come home, get married, have a baby and head back to Afganistan.
Makes you miss teenagers. ALMOST. :-)
Yep, snow day here, too. But this is our 3rd or 4th.
I like your nod to 10-on-10. I plan to still participate as inspiration strikes!
All Matt can talk about is #8. He's helping you pray. : )
Oh, Merideth, I really feel for you when it comes to raising teenagers. I have TWO of them, and it's, definitely, no walk in the park. ;)
Our son (16) is fairly easy to deal with, but his sister (15) makes up for that! She knows exactly where I keep my goat tied. ;)
Anyway, last fall I fell into this funk, because my husband and I don't really see eye to eye with parenting. We have been married 17 years and this has been the most challenging time for us!
Okay, so here's what works for me, where our boundary-testing daughter is concerned ...
I do not tell my husband EVERYTHING. Although, I keep no "secrets" and am always honest, I simply don't "expand" when I don't have to. ;)
Another thing is to keep lines of communication open with your teen. I find car rides to be THE BEST time for this!
Despite the occasional frustration, I have to admit that I LOVE teenhood! Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious - makes me feel young again. ;)
Hang in there!
Parenting is hard period. The teen years are excruciating. I never felt our differences more profoundly than when we hit the teen years. My head told me that I was raised to nurture and John was raised to conquer so that would make for some disagreements, but my heart said "why is he so laid back? Can't he see he's still a baby? Can't he see my beautiful child could make life altering decisions in the blink of an eye that he's stuck with for a lifetime."...oh did I mention I'm the queen of drama? I'm not going to say that it gets easier, but through lots of prayer, actively listening to John's point, and then (more)frequently(than I'd like to admit) involving an impartial 3rd party to mediate we set some boundaries and rules and disciplines we could both (all) live with. Raising a teen is the scariest, most exciting, frustrating, rewarding thing I've ever done.
Big HUGS!
Jamie
ps. Michelle I love " she knows exactly where I keep my goat tied"...this fits my daughter to a "T"!
I loved raising my boys! They're now 19 and 15. The toughest times with them were when they were on the verge of getting more independence. A good example is when each of them had their learner's permits but weren't yet licensed to drive. They were itching for more freedom and independence, but didn't yet have the means for it. It's true of every single moment in their lives when they were on the verge of achieving a higher level of independence. Can you imagine their frustration???? I know there are struggles yet to face, but I love these boys becoming men. And I love them in a different way than their father does. I struggle to let him be him and make his own relationship with them - one that has to stand on its own without me. I don't intervene between him and them. I don't criticize. What I do, in those quiet moments before sleep, is give him my glimpses of our young men. He doesn't always answer, but I know he hears.
snow day here too! well, for my girls. i had to go to work. ugh.
i can sympathize with parenting teenagers but mine are girls. good thing you and hubby talk about the issues in advance; it makes a big difference to provide a united front when it comes to teenagers. speaking from experience. just saying.
I am totally with you on comments 3 and 5. I am the big mean mom around here, and I hate it. But, I feel like my husband lets too many things slide. *sigh* I just take my good days with our 13 year old as a special treasure when I get one.
Our son is already in high school and it hasn't been as bad as I feared it might be. He has a hard time making friends, but academically he is doing great. He is just sort of a lone wolf....
My biggest *discussions* with my husband are over our different approaches to parenting.
It's exhausting.
And hard on a marriage.
Hanging in there with you -
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