One More

One more 'yeah' as a followup to my previous post:

I mailed off the final payment on H.'s orthodontics. Two phases times two kids over the span of close to 10 years. You do the math. Some small countries are funded with less than what we've paid for their pearly whites. We've issued the edict: you'd better be wearing your retainers as required because we have paid all we are going to pay for the straightening of the teeth in your mouths. Keep them there, keep them healthy and if you end up requiring follow-up work because they move again, that's on your dime. Hopefully, you'll have a job with good dental that might help offset a small portion of the expense.

And to emphasize that point, I kept my appointment for a teeth cleaning, in spite of it being made before I knew I'd be off today. I resisted the urge I awoke with to cancel the appointment and make it a 'free of commitments day'. But, it's been six months since my last cleaning and I am trying to set a good example, so I went. It wasn't a bad way to spend 40 minutes and then J. and I went out to lunch which is always a nice treat.

B. texted me at lunch ' Hi, what are you up to'? I sort of think he didn't really mean to text his mom. Not sure. It's highly unusual for him to send me a text for no reason. But I wrote back 'I'm getting my teeth cleaned' and he wrote back 'cool'. Huh? Oh well - it's all I've talked to him today so I won't complain. He came home from his drum lesson and a trip to the mall with friends and headed straight upstairs - PlayStation 3 and My Space. Haven't seen him since.

H. is here pouting because at 10PM he said that his friend invited him to spend the night and I said 'no'. He said 'why?'. I replied 'because I said no. Sleepovers are not something you arrange at 10PM - you arrange them before or just after dinner. Not at bed time. I suspect your friend has been haranging his parents most of the evening and they finally just gave in and said 'ok' - but it's not. It's 10PM and you're not going over there for the night.' I also reminded him that he owes me a ton of 'work time' tomorrow to pay off his debt - he used Christmas money and allowance for a new iPod last week - and we loaned him what he needed to make the purchase before the drive down to Hollywood last weekend. So he has a 'work Saturday' ahead of him tomorrow. I have a list of things he will be doing all day tomorrow to work off the debt. He could use allowance, but it will take him close to 3 months to pay it off using that method...and that isn't the deal. If he spends the night, he will not sleep. He will arrive home between 10am and noon and will be grumpy and exhausted...and he is required (as part of our extensive negotiations) to help willingly, cooperatively, extensively and with a cheerful demeanor. THAT is a stretch on most days but after spending the night with a friend, it would be completely impossible. And I'm not going there.

It's so fun being the mom of teens. Just levity and laughter 24/7.