Teenagers

There are great things about having teenagers...

What I love most are the interesting, insightful, reflective conversations I get to have on a daily basis.

Let me start with a little background on this one.  I had gone to the airport with June and Mack to pick up the Scout Master.  Spell Girl and TCD were at a boating activity at the lake, with the YW when I left, but they were scheduled to come home before we did.  These two are typically my most responsible team.  I felt pretty confident that they would come home, take showers, and watch TV or work on Personal Progress or something until we got home, especially since they both had orientations at their respective schools first thing this morning.

When we got home at 10:30pm, we walked into a kitchen that smelled like brownies, a sink full of dishes, towels on the floor, and two girls in wet swimsuits sitting on my furniture!!!  I was mildly irritated, but tried to keep it together.  I reminded them of their busy days coming up and strongly suggested that they both hurry up and get in showers and get to bed.

Here's how the conversation went with Spell Girl (who technically isn't a teenager yet, but October is just around the corner):

Me:  I really think you need to head upstairs right now and get a shower.  
SG:  ...ugh... right now???
Me:  Yes, right now!  You have lake hair!  I'm sure you don't want to show up at your Orientation tomorrow with people you haven't seen all summer and have lake hair!
SG:  (clearly mystified and looking slightly dejected)
Me:  Seriously, upstairs right now!
SG:  ...ugh...but why is that a big deal tonight??  It's never been a big deal before.
Me:  (totally frustrated)   You need a shower!
SG:  (completely baffled, lifting up the leg of her sweats and looking at her legs)  Mommy, why do I have to shave my legs TONIGHT?  You've never said anything about my leg hair before!!  And I can just wear pants tomorrow if it's such a big deal!
Me:  (laughing hysterically)  I said LAKE HAIR, not LEG HAIR!
SG:  (relieved) Oh.

...and off she went to take a shower

Occasionally there are slight communication break downs here, but that's to be expected with teenagers and 40 somethings in the same house, right??