Teenage Dilemma

The fastest way to get a girl and guy to go out together is to tell them they can't, right? So how do you get a girl and guy to NOT want to see each other?

They've known each other a long time. They've treated each other well. They've treated each other like crap. She lost her virginity to him. They've both dated other people, maybe even had sex with other people, at least I know he has. Now, they're talking again. He's just going to hurt her again, I know! He's a thug. She has the potential to be a great nurse or even doctor. He's stuck in a trailer park in Conroe 50 miles away. She's considering college next year. Different worlds. And to look at them, there is no apparent attraction, and it's not as though other people don't want to go out with them.

So, I can't logically analyze it, but I know they don't belong together. He holds her back from achieving her goals. What's a parent or step-parent to do? Sit back and watch the mistake unfold for the third time? Or will this make the fourth time? I've lost count. How do you get a co-dependent to leave the "dependee" behind and look toward what could be a bright future?

Much of what has happened around our house the last day or so can be attributed to this nonsense.

I know when I was 17/18, I thought I knew everything. Of course, I know now that I didn't, but I was stubborn like her. I couldn't really see what the future held, and I didn't realize some things that held me back.

If the quickest way to get a couple together is to tell them they can't, what's the quickest, least painful way to get them to break up? Anyone? Suggestions? Help!

On Teenagers

(red - for anger) Boy! Did I give my parents this much hell when I was in high school? I guess I did. I'm sorry Mom and Dad. And this one is my step-daughter! I think I get madder than her dad does. What does that tell you?

Let's see... skipping school. Not being where she says she's going to be. Telling bold-faced lies about a couple of things, to us and to her teachers. Using the multi-media on the cell phone (and having no job to pay for it). Downloading ring tones (again, no money to pay for them). And to top it off, crashing our glass coffee table into bits and pieces so that there are shards of glass on everyone's school work and all over the rug and floor, all because she didn't get what she wants and threw a temper fit. I need some prayer, people! Please, God, give me some patience and some wisdom to deal with this the best I can.

I haven't said a word to her, and my husband doesn't talk much to me about it. He gets so defensive if I say anything. I guess I can understand that. And she starts this crud about people not liking her. It's just a cop-out. Oh, poor me! Baloney! I guess it's best I hold my tongue and stay out of it. She probably already blames me for some of it because NOTHING is her own fault.

So, she's lost the lap top for a while (which she wouldn't have except that her uncle bought it for her). She's lost driving privileges, and perhaps the cell phone, too. I think he took it away. But she has no way to pay for a new coffee table (about $400) or to pay the cell phone bill, and I'll tell you another thing. If she thinks I want to contribute one thin dime to her college fund if she can't be responsible enough to trust to go away to school, she's got another thing coming.

All this happens the day after my husband gets home from an out of town trip of four days where he played in a golf tournament sponsored by Southwest Airlines in honor of his deceased brother. So, he was home about 8 hours when all this came about.

Amid all this, she has good grades. She's a bright girl. She has a bright future if she doesn't mess it up right now. Part of it is that she is talking to an ex-boyfriend of hers that she is so hung up on after he treated her like crap over a year ago. You know what it is? She is still so "in love" with him because he rejected her. She can't stand rejection. Who can? But, she sets herself up for a fall over and over. I guess I didn't listen when I was her age, either. I wish someone had MADE me listen and saved me some heartache! If we only knew then what we know now.

And last, the apple doesn't fall far from the maternal tree.

Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully a brighter one. God please have mercy on us all! I just had to vent.

Friday Night Blog

Hello out there in cyper-land! It seems like a long time since I logged on. Well, I got my first paycheck, although it was lost at first, but it was wrong. My former school district didn't send my service record, and it makes over an $8,000 difference in my yearly salary. I know it will get fixed, but it bothers me when people are incompetent. I spend most of Tuesday on the phone and email trying to find my "lost" check, trying to get my service record sent post-haste, and calling eye doctors about fitting my daughter for contacts. She lost her glasses at Schlitterbahn on Labor Day.

That's a bit of good news, though. I won five free tickets to Schlitterbahn in Galveston, which is less than an hour away. So, all but Heather went on Labor Day. She went with her guy friend to Moody Gardens. They were right next door to us all day and we didn't even know it! Anyway, other than Kathleen losing her glasses - don't even ask - we had a great day! The water is refreshing, and the slides and rides are exhilarating. It was a nice break for all of us.

Back into the swing of things now, though. Football, cheerleading, piano about to start, one kid wanting to take hip hop, and another wanting to take jazz. Plus I'm taking a course through South Houston Bible Institute and Dave and I are going to take a Dynamic Marriage seminar through our church.

Remember Dave's brother died not too long ago? He worked for Southwest Airlines, and they are hosting a golf tournament in honor of John, so Dave is headed out to San Diego Sunday and then to Tijuana. Wish I could go, but I can't. I wouldn't golf, but I would like to go anyway.

So far all the kids are doing well in school and I am adjusting to having to work again. I'm spending so much time creating materials and lessons that will be fun as well as educational. I'm exhausted all the time. I've come up with some really cool ones, though. We did a parts of speech scavenger hunt in our commons area at the school. We're making charts based on some of our nonfiction reading. We're making word scrolls and working with partners instead of just doing vocabulary definitions and tests. I'm creating a bulletin board with their "super sentences" on it. I think the kids are having fun, and they are definitely learning.

Blah, blah, blah. I really could go on and on because creating these lessons and new materials is taking a lot of time. But it's probably a boring subject for most people. Most NORMAL people!

I want to upload a picture of the adorable baby pandas in China but it's on my other computer and I can't get to it right now. So, I guess that'll be all.