Teenagers

They are so totally a different beast. Once these cute little babies who coo and toot who fool you into thinking raising kids ain't so hard when in actuality they turn into awkward, pimply faced full of attitude honyaks who know all the answers. At one time mine looked up at me so trustingly. I could do no wrong. These days I can do no right. My MIL once told me that raising teenagers is like nailing jello to a tree. I so understand that now. They want to do their own thing, make their own decisions and NOT be controlled. They wiggle away and try their wings at independence, not wanting any contact with rest of the clan. Then they totally change, and for a minute or hour or day, they mold into these wonderful people-like things giving you glimpse of the child you once had and the adult they are becoming. It is awe inspiring and totally unexpected.

I have been limiting electronics time. I could tell you reasons why; like electronics are totally taking over our lives or I don't ever see Dill without his DS or the tv is constantly on or I dream to the sound of Mario music, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. Who really cares? The reason why I am banning electronics isn't important. The fact that I am actually enforcing the ban IS important. And even that isn't important to this story so I will shut up except to tell you that we had a family movie tonight even though it wasn't electronic free time.

Cool rented Hannah Montana The Movie tonight. Sweet and I were pretty excited about watching it. Dill, even though it was a real hardship for him, agreed to watch it with us for the television aspect of it. Chip absolutely refused to watch it claiming that as he is almost 16 years old, is much too old for a juvenile movie such as that. He asked if he could read and I told him absolutely. Who am I to tell a lad of almost 16 that he can't read? Really now.

So, we put in the disk, and since we can't find the remote to the DVD player, sat through the previews while Chip was "looking" for his bookmark. He looked on the coffee table, end table, couch, floor. I told him he was carrying around his book that had a bookmark in it but he insisted it was a different one. Ok, look away!

So the movie started up. Dill, Sweet and I turned our attention to the TV as Chip groaned and complained that the movie was actually on. But then the funniest thing happened. Chip sat down on the couch, next to his brother and sister. He laughed in the appropriate places. He really laughed at Bobby Ray knocking all the plates off the shelf. He sang along to the songs he knew. He enjoyed the movie without making fun of Dill and Sweet, without making comments about it being stupid, without any disruption at all. It was like it used to be, when he acted human.

Then at the end, during the credits when the Hoedown Throwdown was playing again, he did something astounding. He actually got up and danced with his brother and sister. My three picklets were laughing together and trying to dance. It honestly brought tears to my eyes. He was my little boy again. My first born. The lil guy who used to say, "I gonna get you," to me. I wish it could have lasted a little longer.

At least I know he is still in there. I know the teenage beast didn't eat my little boy and hock him out in a big ole loogie. And you want to know what? He came up to me after the littles went to bed and asked if I could please get the soundtrack for him. Yep, will do! On it right now. Hello I-Tunes?

As it was said in the movie, "Life's a climb but the view is great." Yep, it is. And each day I will have to climb a little higher to keep up with the teenage beast but I know that at the end of this great parental experience the view IS going to be great. I saw a snippet of it tonight and I liked what I saw.


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