What? Activity on my blog?? Shocking, I know.
Also shocking- my oldest became a teenager this week. I am the mother of a teenager. This is.. unsettling. Moreso because she was doing teenager-ish things all weekend. On Friday night her junior high band played with the high school band at the high school’s football game. She tried to leave the house wearing eyeliner- I made her take some of it off (the black line under her eyes) because I just can’t stand her looking older than she is. Naturally she got mad, talked back, stomped around and ranted about how “everyone wears it,” but then finally took it off. Her “friend who is a boy” (NOT a boyfriend!!) wanted to go to the game, too, but didn’t have a ride, so she begged me to pick him up and I finally agreed. (My husband said, ‘What the heck is this, a date?”) On Saturday night she went out to a movie (PG-13, of course!) with a group of kids (all teenagers) and stayed out past 11 pm. Today she’ll be competing in a swim meet. Right now she is sleeping until the last possible minute- typical teenage behavior and NOT typical of her as she has been an early riser since birth.
My head is swimming with the fact of my kids growing up so quickly. I swear they were just babies, recently, but by December 2011 I will be the mother of TWO teenagers, yikes. It feels like they got old overnight. I know there are many parenting joys still ahead, but I am mourning the end of their childhoods. I’m sure there is a silver lining someplace (more reading time for me as my kids need me less??) but it is certainly bittersweet.
Speaking of reading.. I’ve been doing some here and there in between running the newly minted teenager and her ‘tween sister to all their various social engagements and activities. I finished ROOM by Emma Donoghue this week; I loved it and immediately passed it on to my mother. It would make such a great book for discussion with my book club but alas, we only read paperbacks, cheapskates that we are, so that will have to wait a year or so. But at least if my mother reads it we can talk about it right away. It’s one of those books that begs to be discussed. I also finished Dear Mrs. Kennedy for my TLC Book Tour stop tomorrow and Dracula, My Love by Syrie James for our book club discussion next week, and started reading our December selection, People of the Book by Geraldine March. The teenager is reading The Miles Between by Mary Pearson and my ‘tween is reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini.
I hope you all enjoyed your extra hour of sleep last night.. have a wonderful, relaxing Sunday and a great week!
Filed under: book clubs, books, Family, kids, Life, parenting, reading, Reading Groups, Relationships, sunday salon | Tagged: sunday salon |
Books on the Brain 
How do you think I feel – I’m the mother of a college graduate!!
Not to be a party pooper or anything, but I think your kids need you more when they get to be teens. They think they don’t need you as much, but believe me, they do!
I am sure you’re right, Kathy. But there are now big blocks of time when they’re off doing something else that didn’t exist when they were little.
A college grad, wow!!
My oldest turns 13 in March, and my son turns 13 in October 2012. So I am there with ya. It is painful, even now. I think an alien sucked my daughter’s brain up into the mother ship. My husband tells me they will return it when she is 23.
My book club did read Room, hardcover or no. We talked for hours, even getting caught up for at least a half hour talking about breast-feeding at the age of 5. Not that we disagreed with Ma’s actions, but that we know people in our lives that do it for other, less noble reasons. I’ve been recommending this book to everyone.
You ARE right there with me! I can so relate to the alien brain-sucking. It really feels that way. I hope your husband is right about it being returned in 10 years.
The breast feeding didn’t bother me because it was definitely an extreme circumstance and a soothing source of comfort and security for both of them, and probably better nutrition for Jack. But breastfeeding that late in the general population for no good reason seems weird to me. I loved the part with the talk show host where Ma says (paraphrasing) “Of everything that happened to us, THAT is what you find shocking?”
I loved Room too and wanted my mother to read it so I could have someone to talk about it with too 🙂
AHHHHH ha ha We are the same!!!
Isn’t it fun when your kids get to that age? We have a lot of the same situations going on over here, though my daughter is a little older. My husband is kind of freaked out about the “boy” friend as well, but I think it’s great, as my daughter is not very social, and the boy in question is very nice and respectful. Good luck with the teenage years! If you ever need to vent about it, drop me an email.
Also, glad to hear that you loved Room. It was the best book of the year for me, and I actually got a chance to tell Emma Donoghue that to her face! It was an exciting moment!
I don’t mind this particular boy. He’s nice, kind, and respectful. He’s in boy scouts and active in his church. But.. he’s still a 14 year old boy, ya know? Raging hormones and a not fully developed brain are a poor combination, LOL.
That is so great that you got to tell Emma Donoghue in person how much you loved Room- how exciting! I got to meet a favorite author last year and made a complete fool of myself. I don’t even know what I said, I got so tongue tied.
awww…. I am a new mom, and I can think of me going Yikes, if my kids become teens 🙂
But I think, no matter what age, kids need there parents. Look at me I am 27, but cannot get past a day w/o talking to Mom, it is very important for me to talk to her, nothing great but just some talk 🙂
I hope you are enjoying your reads 🙂
It’s not an “if” so much as a “when.” You likely won’t be prepared- it kind of sneaks up on you.
I talk to my mom every day too, and I am quite a bit older than you 🙂
It has been very hard on both my husband and myself to accept the differences in our children’s behavior when they moved out of home to Australia for studies. In Sri Lanka things are still a bit conservative to say the least and now when my daughters are out till 1 a.m. on a friday night I am torn between shutting up and questioning them! its tough on us trying to adapt. At home this would never have happened in a million years!!!
Adapting is hard, no doubt!! I’m trying to trust that I did a good job up until now, that my daughter has a good head on her shoulders. But- it’s still scary!!
You’ll live through it – I’ve made it through one kid’s adolescence already and am more than halfway through the second, with one more to come. But I suspect that with two teenage girls in the house – I’ve only had one – you’ll have your work cut out for you!
And it’s funny – every early-rising kid I’ve known became a late sleeper almost as soon as he or she hit the teens. It’s the adolescent biological clock or something.
Nice to see you here on a Sunday! 😀
Ah, the voice of experience!! I’m sure we’ll all live through it, but for me I suspect it will be with a few more gray hairs as a consequence 🙂
I think it is a biological thing- they need more sleep. Honestly I wish school started a bit later. My daughter tells me that kids fall asleep in class all the time. They want to stay up late and then have a hard time getting up in the morning.
Happy Sunday, Florinda!
Lisa, I think I enjoy reading all the more because of all the trials and tribulations of being a parent. By the time I finally get a chance to read, I am so ready to do so!
I would really like to read Room.
Same here. Reading is my reward at the end of the day.
I hope you read Room so we can talk about it!
Oh, I’m chuckling here…so very glad that the days of rearing teens is behind me! I had four kids, now all grown. You want to hear something funny? Now I have four grandkids who are teens!
But the good news about teen grandkids, you don’t have to be the one disciplining, etc. Not in any major way. You get to send them home! Love it!
The downside is…that means I’m very old! LOL
Welcome back Lisa. I’ve got one teenager at home and know what you mean about the time moving very quickly. My son is a junior in high school and it is hard for me to fathom that he will be off to college in a year and a half! Enjoy these next few years because they go by very, very fast!
Oh the highliner! We went through several years of fighting the too-much-eyeliner battle. I think all junior high-aged girls go through this phase. Fortunately, most of them outgrow it. Probably because they have the meanest moms in the world!
Hi Lisa! Just waving hello. I was actually skipping down blogging-memory-lane visiting some of the ‘old’ blogs before book-blogging and when you and I first started up. (thanks again for the encouragement, you are my first book-friend here, yaknow) and anyway. I come back to my blog and find a comment from you! WEEEE! I’m glad you enjoyed EF for the 3rd time and hope your book club chat was fun.
Also, my bookclub didn’t get into Room at all. Very odd, really. I think we are reading the books too early in the month and then forget it all by the time the mtg comes around.
um, I was signed in as my ‘other’ blogname… That was me, btw…
🙂
People used to tell me (well, they still do …) “they grow up so fast” … and it’s TRUE! We have one teen, one tween, one middle grade, and a Kindergarten; all in different stages of growth and activity, but all still needing us to be there at the ready!
Happy birthday to your daughters, and good luck to you, adjusting to the new stages.
(I loved ROOM! I listened to the audio, and will also read the print edition — I rarely do both!)