They have been known to spend hour after hour after hour - reading!
They love Harry Potter - LOVE IT!
They have read all the Harry Potter books over and over again.
They love the Twilight series!
They love many different books and lots of different authors.
Given their choice of buying anything they want - they will ALWAYS choose books!
If I take them anywhere near a book store - their eyes will begin to twitch and sweat will bead on their foreheads and they will begin to drool - REALLY!
Well ...
As much as they love to read ...
They are not all that happy about reading books they are required to read - such as ...
The Grapes of Wrath.
It was a summer reading requirement.
I know, I know - it is a classic and lots of people love the book, but ... not my girls - NOPE!
We bought one book at the beginning of the summer.
Courtney began to read the book at the end of July.
Chloe - believing that Courtney would certainly finish the book in a couple of days - waited for her sister to finish before she would be able to begin.
Needless to say - a week before school was to start - Chloe had not yet read the required book and Courtney was still not done.
These are girls that can read a new Harry Potter book - cover to cover - in 18 hours or less. But ... The Grapes Of Wrath Courtney found ... bor-ing!
So ...
The twins' father suggested ... "Courtney - once you get to the middle of the book - let me know and I will cut the book in half and give the first half to Chloe."
*Tee Hee*
This sounded like a good idea to me.
Not that destroying a perfectly good classic by John Steinbeck, was a good thing - but ... it made little sense to purchase a second book - especially one that they hated so much.
Even I - thought this was not a bad idea.
But ...
Chloe worried.
Worried she would need her own book.
Worried they would need their own books in class during the review - during the discussion.
Worried ...
She would have to tell her teacher ...
"Uh ... Page 231?"
"Can you wait a minute ..."
"For me to go across the room ..."
"To get the other half of the book ..."
"From ...
"MY SIS-TER!"
She worried ...
Worried ...
That ...
She might have to tell her English teacher ...
"Yes ..."
"We chopped it in half ..."
"The Grapes Of Wrath ..."
"Yes ..."
"My ... redneck daddy thought it was a good idea ..."
"Yes ..."
"That's just the way we do things ..."
"In the ... On The Upside --- household!"
On the upside ... We bought another book. Chloe was relieved. For a while there - I think she was scared we were actually going to do it. And ... I think she might also have been a bit scared when she realized that I - her mother - was in agreement with her redneck father about this book-chopping idea. It had never happened before where the mother agreed on any redneck idea the father had. It definitely seemed to worry her.
"What's going on - what's the matter?" I say, standing in front of Courtney and Chloe, who continue to bicker and ignore my presence.
Finally, Chloe stops with the yelling and turns to me,"Our internet is not working! It's been down for 3 days and NOBODY cares," she is not screaming, but she is talking very loud. "If it was YOUR internet - I'll bet it would be fixed by now," she has the nerve to say and then jumps from the desk chair and throws herself onto the couch.
"What do you mean, it's not working?" I make the mistake of asking.
"It hasn't worked for 3 DAYS!" now she screams.
"The rest of the computers are working - what have you done to it?" I ask.
"We didn't do anything," Courtney says, "It just deleted IE and we can't get it back on."
I sit down at their computer and open a few windows *click, click, click - peck, peck, peck*
"YOU ... are never going to be able to fix it," Chloe spits from across the room. "Dad has looked at it, we've looked at it - YOU will never be able to fix it!" *rolls eyes*
Now, keep in mind - they are probably right. I have never been the techie person in our family - the person to go to fix anything having to do with the computer of anything electronic, but ...
"Don't ever underestimate my talents - darling ones," I think to myself.
I get up from the computer and walk towards the kitchen.
"I told you," Chloe snarls. "It's BROKEN!"
"It's working now," I say nonchalantly and walk out of the room. THANKS, MOM - YOU ROCK!" I yell sarcastically in their direction.
I hear two teenage girls scrambling across the family room to get to the computer.
On the upside ... Hey - if there is one thing I can fix - it is the INTERNET CONNECTION! You can't BLOG without an INTERNET CONNECTION! If it is fixable or anywhere within a 20 mile radius - us BLOGGERS can get you, find for you, steal for you, manufacture for you, barter for you ... an ...I.N.T.E.R.N.E.T C.O.N.N.E.C.T.I.O.N!
We have just come from eating at a local pizza restaurant after the girls' basketball game.
In the seat right behind mine sits Courtney.
Across the aisle in the van, sits Chloe.
In the very rear of the van, sits Alexis.
We are driving along, listening to music and Courtney suddenly says, "My face hurts."
There is silence for a few seconds and then Chloe and I say, in unison, "If I had a face like that - it'd hurt too," and I reach back for Chloe to give me a high five.
We all laugh.
Then there is a moment of more silence and then Chloe suddenly says, "Oh ... I do have a face like that. T.h.a.t sucks." (*sad face*)
And we laugh even harder.
On the upside ... It's a pretty good face - the two of them have - if I do say so myself.
When my twins were tiny babies - I dressed them in ruffled socks, frilly dresses with bloomers and little shoes on their tiny feet - every single day - even if we were not leaving the house.
When my twins were tiny girls - I pulled their hair into piggy tails and adorned the sides of their heads with lovely hair bows to match their outfits.
When my twins were tiny girls - I dressed them in polka dots, plaids and all the most adorable girly outfits I could find.
When my twins grew up ...
They were NOT girly girls.
They were only EVER girly girls ...
When they were too young to argue with their mother about the dresses and hair bows and ruffles.
*sigh*
I do love a girly girl.
But ...
I love a tom-boy just as much.
I love to see a girl that can throw a softball or football or basketball as good as any boy.
I love to see a girl that enjoys the outdoors and is not afraid to work up a sweat.
I love to see a girl that gets along with a group of boys as well, if not better, than a group of girls.
I don't often see my twins do anything or wear anything that would be considered "girly" - NEVER!
So ... when Chloe came to me the other day and asked me if I could help her paint her nails - I nearly fell to the floor in shock.
It was black nail polish - not pink - but ... still!
So, I sat her in a chair across from me.
I had her place her hand on my knee.
I noticed that one thumb nail was painted - pretty darn perfectly.
I said, "Why, you did a good job painting that one nail - why didn't you paint all of them? Why do you need my help?" I looked into my sweet girl's face.
She smiled.
She lowered her head.
She glanced up through long, feathery eyelashes.
She said, "I ....... taped it off," in a tiny whisper.
I heard her and visions began to skip through my mind of ... duct tape or ... scotch tape ... blue painter's tape.
I laughed.
"You TAPED it off? To put polish on your finger - you TAPED IT OFF?" I could not stop laughing at the thought of how tedious this would make this normally not-so-difficult job.
"Yes," she giggled.
"What kind of tape did you use." I was just curious.
"Electrical tape," she confessed, still giggling.
"Chloe, Chloe, Chloe ..."
On the upside ... I have never heard of any GIRL taping off her fingers (like she was painting a dining room wall) to paint her nails, but ... I have to say --- it was the most PERFECTLY painted thumb nail I've ever seen. Hardly worth the 15 minutes it took her to do it - but ... an excellent job! I need to work with that girl. I don't want anyone to find out that this is how she has been doing this. I found it ironic that she approached this very GIRLY job - thinking very much like a boy.
People often confuse Courtney and Chloe - as they are identical twins.
I have seldom confused the two - as I have come to see the differences in their personalities, their posture, the way they walk or carry themselves, their voices, their laughs and their facial expressions.
Every so often, I will, for a moment, be unable to determine which is which if the one I am looking at is sitting very still and not making any expression with her face or moving her body or hands. Or if they are asleep. When they are still - they even look the same to me.
In pictures, when they were babies especially, many people are unable to tell them apart and this is even true of their father and close family members. Some pictures that I failed to make note on the backside - I too, can not sometimes tell. The girls, to this day, are not able to tell who is who in most photos - even current photos. If they are able to tell, it is usually by looking at the clothes or the location the picture is taken - not by actually looking at their own faces.
This is a little crazy - right?
Most of their friends are able to tell them apart - all of their close friends have no problem. Most little children figure it out rather quickly. When Little Billy was small, he had difficulty telling them apart and so he just called them The Courtneys.
Over Christmas, Courtney was telling the story of a little boy that told her recently, "I can tell you two apart, because you are the one with the man voice and the fat head."
On the upside ... that's sometimes how I tell them apart too (tee hee).
(*note: Courtney has a raspy, deeper voice - than Chloe. She has nodules on her vocal cords that - through therapy of no-talking for periods at a time - would get better or deteriorate. She will always have a deeper - raspy voice, as she would never be able to not-talk for any length of time. This is another way I tell them apart - Courtney talks ALL THE TIME. And ... she was born with a rounder head and Chloe a more oval shaped head - hence the "fat head" reference*)
Alexis and my niece are playing in Alexis' bedroom.
I am in my room, helping Chloe with a project we have sprawled out on the floor.
Alexis and my niece have decided that Alexis will spend the night over at my niece's house and so Alexis is gathering her things to take for the sleep-over.
They are goofing off.
It is getting later and later by the minute.
They are getting out toys and playing and I can hear the ruckus from my room.
I scream, really loud and speak really fast, "Alexis. You need to get your stuff. You need to get your stuff together. You need to get your pajamas and your toothbrush and your underwear and whatever toys you want to take with you. And ... you are not going anywhere until you clean up that mess you two have made in that room," I say this all very fast - I say it and I mean it.
Chloe looks over at me from across my room with a look that says, "Could you be anymore obnoxious?" and it makes me smile.
I hear some scrambling going on down the hallway in Alexis' room and then I hear her say, very casually, and a little uppity, "Well ... you don't have to yell," and she mocks me, "Yada, yada, yada - yada, yada, yada ..."
The moment we heard her, Chloe's eyes met mine and we both fell back on the floor laughing.
On the upside ... Sometimes - I just need to ... simmer down!
Alexis opened one of her Christmas presents from Mom and Dad.
She removed the tissue paper from the box and excitedly pulled out a darling jogging outfit (pants and a zippered hoody). It had shiny emblems on the lapel and on the backside of the pant bottoms and it was the lovely shade of pale teal.
Alexis was very excited and said, "I love it. I love this color - this is my favorite color."
I smiled.
Alexis smiled back sweetly at her Mama.
Chloe looked at Courtney, with a smirk on her can't-wait-to-come-up-with-a-sarcastic-remark-teenage-face and said, "What ... grayish teal?" questioning Alexis' enthusiasm over this color.
Courtney, whose wheels are turning now - in her equally-sarcastic-teenage-pea-sized-brain then says, "What ... the color of dead pond water?" and they laugh into each other's faces obnoxiously.
Then, the quick witted Chloe quickly banters back, "What ... the color of bread mold?" and now the two hysterical teenage comedians have thrown their heads back and spit is flying everywhere from all of their rowdy laughter.
And now Courtney's mind is really racing and immediately she says, "What ... like the color of extinct Brontosaurus'?" and she lies down sideways on the couch, laughing so hard she can barely catch her breath.
Chloe, who can not believe how funny she and her sister are, and this is apparent by the way they keep giving each other pokes on the shoulders or exaggerated high-fives, says, "What ... like the color of a decaying sea turtle?" and then falls to the floor, holding her stomach and wipes at the tears running down her face.
Me ... I'm sitting across the room, drinking my coffee as I am watching this episode of Comedy Central and just rolling my eyes.
The darling Alexis, sitting in the middle of the floor, has long since folded her lovely new jogging suit back into its box and has moved onto her next Christmas present -- never once picking up on the ridiculous meanness being hurled at her by her two loving sisters. She loves this new teal jogging suit and has declared that it will be the outfit she will wear for the day.
On the upside ... Sometimes those twins are funny and then sometimes ... they are ... Just. Plain. Stupid.
"Hello," I say, as I throw the bed pillows onto the floor, grab hold of the comforter and fold it down across the bed.
"Mom," the voice says, "It's Chloe." (uh ... I know)
"Yes," I say, as I continue to tug and pull at the sheets.
"Can you help us sew those things on the shirt for T?"
I am holding the phone against my ear with my shoulder, huffing a bit now as I am struggling to throw all the decorative pillows from the floor back up on the bed and I say, "I guess I could do that."
"Okay, good," Chloe says and then yells my answer loudly to her nearby sister.
I smooth the top of my comforter with my free hand and then sit on the edge of my nicely made-up bed and say into the phone, "Where are you at, Chloe?"
Thanks so much for all the wonderfully positive and supportive comments on yesterday's post!
I am now at 63,463 words, 217 pages and ...
I am almost finished!
Just so you know - I am aiming at 75,000 words and 250 double spaced pages, but as it stands right now it will be a bit longer than that in order to wrap the story up the way I want.
This is just my first draft and what I did is take the advise of many writers and have just written this story from beginning to end without much editing. I have edited some as I have gone along, but it is likely going to take months to get this manuscript into a good final draft.
I had a few comments where people mentioned that I sound excited and so happy and ... it's true. I am excited that the timing has been so perfect for me to dedicate so much time to writing and happy that I feel so positive about the story I have written and so enjoyed the process.
It has gone quickly (I don't do anything slowly), but it has also been a pleasurable experience; developing the characters has come easy, following the twists and turns in the story has been exciting, realizing the story was waiting to be written because it just flowed out of me almost effortlessly - it's been a truly rewarding and exciting experience.
Like I said in my last post - this novel does not yet have a title, but I am working on it. I have involved Courtney and Chloe (my twin daughters) a lot in the writing of this book and they have been enormously helpful, inspirational and a creative input through the process. They are determined to help me come up with a most excellent title and I am counting on them for their ideas. They have also informed me that they will be doing the art for the book's cover (as they are both extremely talented and creative artists)and I quickly agreed (I just love that they believe in me enough to see a cover in the future for this novel - tee hee).
This novel is not the book I believed I would be writing when I started this process a few months ago. I was swayed tremendously by Courtney and Chloe's suggestions and enthusiasm and decided to venture in a new direction and I'm glad I did. It's not the best story ever conceived and it's not the best writing ever put to paper, but I feel positive about it's potential and proud I've followed it through.
Once I finish the first draft completely (hopefully by this weekend), Courtney and Chloe have asked to read it all the way through. I am counting on their advise and input to clean up and/or develop the story more thoroughly and also anxious to see if they like it (I told them that they had to say "I loved it" - if they did and they just rolled their eyes). They read the first 3 chapters early on, but then I told them I didn't want them to read it anymore until it was done. They know a lot about the premise of the story and have even offered some great ideas and twists towards the plot, but not read it all the way through. These are 2 girls that have been reading (and writing themselves) since they were 4 years old. They LOVE to read and I am depending on their love of books and writing to help guide this story.
I will be telling you more about my novel soon, but for now I am just going to finish it. I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your support.
What do you think my novel is about? Do you have any guesses?
PS - Yes, it is 3:53 p.m. as I write this post and I am still in my pajamas.
I'm not the type to pull strings or call in favors unless I absolutely have too.
Okay ... It's not like I'm this suburban-mafia-mom that has tons of useful connections, meets covertly in dark alleys to make deals with shifty looking hoodlums, keeps a mental tally of favors owed to me or have a list of people that find me favorable by which I could pull some strings with.
I have no connections.
I know no hoodlums (except Little Billy and he's harmless, he's my son and he's only 12).
My mind is far to cluttered and feeble to keep track of what the actual day of the week is, let alone if I've ever accumulated favors owed to me.
And ... most people do not find me favorable.
But ...
I am wise in the ways of the world! I've been around long enough to know the games, watched carefully to try and understand how to play some of these games and, from time to time, have enlisted this aforementioned, accumulated knowledge to PLAY THE DAMN GAME!
I am on the board of the PTA for my twins' high school.
On Monday morning - the first day of school, mind you - I crawled out of my comfortable bed and quiet, kid-free house - the bed with the cozy down comforter and the house that was noiseless - to help at the high school, alphabetizing their AGR (an acronym that I have no clue what it stands for - something to do with registration - something to do with the first day of school) cards
Before I left my house, I began to receive numerous text messages from my Daughter Courtney - HER AND CHLOE'S SCHEDULES ARE SCREWED UP - HELP MOM!!!
I tried to appease my obviously highly-stressed-frantic-freaking-out-of-her-mind daughter by replying casually to her text messages with, "Don't worry about it, Hon - it'll all work out," sort of responses.
That didn't fly.
She continued to text message after message, interrupting me from getting ready to go - she NEEDED me to step in and help figure out this screw-up for her ---- PLEASE MOM! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!
I stopped my primping, walked out of my bathroom and called the counselor's office. I was pretty quickly told they will not be addressing scheduling issues until after Labor Day, the girls will just have to stay in the classes assigned until then. Mind you - these girls spent 5 hours, two weeks ago, up at the school on Prep Days, working out their Senior year schedule and now the school has made an error by changing the schedule. The error is the school's error - not my girls'. This I conclude only too quickly.
I sigh.
I change my outfit (I was wearing something conservative - I change into something less conservative. There is a reason for this well-thought-out wardrobe change. I won't tell you what I changed into because I wouldn't want you to think badly of me. Okay - I'll tell you. The new outfit consisted of a shorter shirt and a tighter, lower cut blouse).
I grab my purse.
I grab my coffee.
I leave my nice quite house and drudge up to the school.
I go by the counselor's office and am told pretty much the same thing - "So sorry your daughter is upset but there's nothing we can do today." So, I ask to speak to the head counselor (I'm going to go up the ladder now) and am told it wouldn't be possible until late afternoon to meet with her - she's far too busy helping register new students. In the meantime, my daughter's are attending classes that will not be their set classes and Courtney is BEYOND hysterical this is all screwed up - she is still texting me constantly. I am informed by the counseling department that nothing can be done for two weeks.
I texted Courtney and told her to meet me near the counselor's office.
"Did they say for me to meet you?" Courtney texted me - I can sense her fear.
"I SAID FOR YOU TO MEET ME." I'm the tax payer and the mom here - what I say goes.
After her first period class ends - Courtney - visually distressed - meets me in the breezeway near the counselor's office.
"Courtney. Now, you have to tell me if this is SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A STINK TO GET THIS FIXED. Because if it is not that big a deal and you can wait until after Labor Day, you have to tell me now." I have no clue from one minute to the next what is REALLY important and what isn't when it comes to teenagers. What I think should be important - isn't. And, what I think is piddly-isn't-worth-the-worry-or-stress-or-making-your-mom-a-nut-case-until-the-issue-is-resolved sort of issue - they think is important. But ... as I am talking to her - trying to decipher the true worry about this scheduling-screw-up issue, I see the trauma and stress all over her face.
Tears began to roll down her cheeks and she is not a crier - she is my tough child.
She NEEDS this issue resolved and I, as her advocate, agree. She is a student and going to school is her one and only job and she is highly successful. It does not seem reasonable to me that she should be forced to remain in the "wrong" classes for two weeks - she needs to be put back in her "right" classes so she can start this school year stress-free and happy. (Happy is really all I'm aiming at here).
"Okay - it's a big deal," I say. "Let's go," and I begin to go toward the counselor's office - set on sitting in there until they do something to fix my daughter's schedule (all the while my anger is riling up and honestly, I intended to "dare" them to make me wait longer than I deemed reasonable. I wasn't sure how long that would be - it would all depend on how long they made me wait). But ... Courtney doesn't want to make a stink in the counselor's office - she had already been in there earlier and they chased her out, telling her they were too busy today to address her scheduling problem. *More tears*
I agree. I got nowhere with them either and was, while I didn't let on to my daughter, a little fearful myself to return to the lion's den. I say, "Okay. But, then we're going to have to go to the Principal." I'm pretty sure this will scare her to death and she will reject this idea.
She is good with this plan.
She knows I know the Principal and that the Principal of this school of 3000 students knows me well and knows her well.
"Where is he - let's find him," she says, her spirits a little higher now. Me - my heart is beating so fast it might just jump from my chest, land on the ground and trip me in the hallway.
We head off to look for the Principal.
We round the corner in the outdoor courtyard and there he is, standing with two other administrators that I also know well. I adjust my blouse, straighten my black and red floral shirt, cover my mouth with my hand and whisper to Courtney, "I'm going to need you to cry."
"What?" she asked, her eyes shifting nervously.
"Tears. Turn on the tears," I instruct, perfectly aware that this is one of the few times my daughter has witnessed me attempting to manipulate a man. Watch closely Dear, you will see how it is done.
We explained Courtney and Chloe's situation to the Principal. Courtney teared up (easily, because she was truly upset). He immediately took care of the situation.
Not ten minutes - TEN MINUTES - later, Courtney and Chloe's schedule was back the way it should be, Courtney gave her mom a big hug and bounced off to class - not a care in the world.
YES - I used everything (while not all that impressive or threatening or at all useful in everyday situations) in my arsenal to help my daughter. And, I didn't even have to scream and yell to get it done.
Courtney, quite impressed with her mother's talents, came home in the afternoon, all smiles. I questioned her about her schedule and she informed me that it was fine - everything was correct - "THANKS MOM, for your help".
Then ...
She went on to tell me that she repeated this story to several people at her school, one a teacher I know well, but in her story she impressed that she'd gotten the schedule changed back ... by crying.
"Did you tell them that I was the one who told you to turn on the tears?" I asked, astonished that she was taking credit for my sneaky plan.
"No," she admitted easily, and then shuffled on out of the room.
For the record - I was the administrator of this well-thought-out covert operation. But, I'm okay with my daughter taking the credit. I know only too well that she's too young to realize that that was part of my plan too - tee hee. (Okay, not really, but it will come in handy if I ever have to deny I played a part of this manipulation). And, for the record - I could have kept on my original outfit. I'm pretty darn sure it didn't have a thing to do with ultimately getting this job done *hangs head pitifully*
As most of you know - I have teenage twin daughters, Courtney and Chloe.
My girls are juniors in high school and fixing to turn 17 this April *sad face*.
One of the things I have most enjoyed about having teenagers around my house is seeing the friendships they have developed with other kids their age. They often brings their friends to our house and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all of them and being around this great group of kids.
One of the friends my girls made this last year at school is a girl named Becca. Becca is a year older than Courtney and Chloe (she's a senior) and yet they have become especially close and my girls just love her. They played basketball together for their high school's varsity team and hung out a lot after school and on the weekends (she's coming over today, as a matter of fact). Becca has not only been a wonderful friend to both of my girls, but a fabulous influence. I know they are going to miss her tremendously when she leaves in the fall to head off to college at Texas A&M - but we are all very proud of her and wish her only luck and happiness and love.
The reason I tell you all this is because I found out this morning that Becca has started her own blog called The Leaves On The Ground.
Becca
I know several teen bloggers and just love their blogs, their stories and their perspective of the world. I am certain that Becca's blog will be fabulous as she is a great girl and also takes amazing photos.
It would be so nice if you went over to welcome my special friend, Becca (The Leaves On The Ground) into this wonderful blogging world - show her how much we love teen bloggers and encourage them to be part of our community.
Chloe and Courtney had to take a Speech summer course during the month of June.
One night, Chloe came to my room and explained, "I have to give a speech tomorrow. I have to talk about an invention. I have to come up with something - talk about why it is a good invention - why it should be made - you know?"
She stands next to my bed.
She waits.
She stays quiet.
She wants me ...
TO COME UP WITH THE INVENTION!
So ...
I begin to brain-storm.
My mind starts churning.
A bit of smoke begins to poof out of my ears.
I rattle off ...
"What about lamps with no cords."
She is not impressed.
"At least ... there needs to be cords in different colors - you know - designer lamp cords," I offer. "Cords to match the color of the floor - like wood color, " I giggle, "Or to match the carpet color."
She stays silent.
"How about colored kitty litter?" I am excited. "Like designer kitty litter - in different colors - to match your carpet," I smile real big.
She rolls her eyes.
"Like pink - to match pink carpet," I ramble, "Or blue - or purple - or gray - oh, no ... it already is gray - not gray - like red - like green ..." I can't stop smiling at my brilliant idea.
She sighs. "Who as pink carpet?" she is so negative.
"How about squeezable butter," I suggest.
"What do you mean?" she is curious.
"Like ... they have now for tomato paste." (*daughter gets a question mark above her head*) "They used to put tomato paste in cans - still do, I guess - but, they also have it in tubes now."
"What kind of tubes," she likes this idea.
"Like toothpaste tubes," I explain.
She scrunches up her face.
She walks away.
I say ...
"So what are you going to invent? Which one did you like?"
Not much response.
Then she says, "They all sound stupid - ridiculous," she is in a bad mood - hence the idea that we would let mom do the thinking for this project, but then ... we are absolutely not going to approve of any of the MAGNIFICENT ideas she might come up with.
On the upside ... I don't know what she decided on, but ... I was still yelling invention ideas out of my room and down the hallway, "Yes ... squeezable butter ... in different colors - YES - like pink and blue and purple ...... or Neapolitan - NEAPOLITAN BUTTER IN A TUBE ..." I yell ...... (*door slams shut to daughter's room*)
My kids often have their friends over at our house.
One day, not too long ago, there were six of the girls' basketball friends over and they were all up in Courtney and Chloe's bedroom.
I walked by.
I stuck my head in to say hello.
When I walk in, I see ... one girl on Courtney's bed, two girls on Chloe's bed, two girls on the futon, one girl each sitting in the desk chairs, one girl on the floor and one sprawled out in the recliner near the closet. Some had their shoes off, others had pillows they were clutching, one seemed to actually be sleeping, and ... at least 4 of them had phones in their hands and were busy - like little beavers - text, text, texting away - furiously - as if, whatever they were saying in these text messages were the most interesting and most important information ever to be sent over the telegraph wires (or whatever it's called) - EVER!! Texting - like crazy - at least 4 of these girls.
I saw this craziness and asked, "What are you all doing?"
And pretty much all of them answered, in unison, "Nothin'."
I then asked if anyone needed anything and they answered that they were fine - with looks on most of their faces that indicated that they wanted me to leave.
I put my hand on the door to go and then turned back and asked, "By the way, who are you all talking to?" looking into the eyes of one of my daughters.
And 3 of the girls (including one of my own), looked up quickly in my direction and said, "Each other." And then all --- went immediately back to texting once again.
THEY. WERE. TEXTING. EACH. OTHER!!!!
They were in the very same room!!
They weren't more than 2 feet from each other!
And ... they found this to be perfectly normal!
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CRAZY PICTURE?
On the upside ... This is CRAZINESS - this texting thing! Have you ever seen it in action? Have you ever been around one of these teenagers when they perform this TEXTING? I think it might just be possible that they will soon eliminate talking altogether - they might just get to where they only ever use their computers or the texting on their phones and then they will never actually have to see any of their friends face to face or ever speak a single verbal word to any of them.
Hummmm ... maybe I need to learn this texting thing - start communicating non-verbally with my teenage daughters! Holy What-Took-Me-So-Long-To-See-The-Potential Batman ... Now that there's a brilliant idea!
Fulfilled every redneck fantasy my cute cowboy husband has ever had ...
It started out looking pretty pitiful ...
Pretty darn hopeless ...
Downright awful - sitting very "redneck-like" on the driveway by my house.
It (obviously) was a fixer-upper ...
Requiring a lot of work ...
And searching the land far and wide for missing parts.
It needed some serious body work ...
Pieces of this monster hung from tree limbs to be inspected, banged on and painted.
And then there was more painting.
And more painting ...
All while continuing to search the land far and wide (okay - the internet) for an extensive list of missing parts.
And then one day ...
It started to look like a pretty nice car ...
It was coming together with its shiny new paint job and sparkling new chrome.
Until one day recently ...
Almost two years into this Mustang project ...
The announcement finally came ...
IT IS DONE!
(THANK THE LORD!)
So, the car was a gift to our twin daughter's, Courtney and Chloe, for their 17th Birthday.
They only recently drove it to school (once their dad got the A/C put in it).
A football player stopped the girls in the parking lot. "Who's car is that?" he asked, envy in his eyes.
"It's mine," Courtney answered shyly.
"You've gotta be shi**in' me!" he exclaimed.
"Nope - it's ours." Chloe smiled proudly.
"What kind of engine's in it?" the burly football player asked, his eyes wide and curious.
*blink blink*
"I dunno. Loud." Courtney answered quietly.
The moral of this conversation is: Football players that would know the size engine in this 1969 Mustang are probably more deserving of such a sweet car than twin girls that are more interested in a functioning A/C and loud speakers.
The only problem with the completion of this two-year project is ...
Now ... my cute, redneck husband is searching the land (and the internet) far and wide for a new piece of junk car to restore for the boy child.
Mothers, more often than not, put the needs and happiness of their children before their own. It's not a choice was make, it's just nature. It's like that mother duck - she knows all those little ducks are following her and every now and then I know she must turn around and count them to make sure they are all still there behind her. She probably inspects their little bodies to make sure each is getting the exact amount of food they should be getting to survive and if they are not, she will give them hers. I'm sure she scolds them if they wander off and panics when she can't find one and then she will go to the ends of the ocean in search of her lost duckling.
If it were a daddy duck left with this year long nurturing responsibility, I imagine there might just be a lost duckling now and then and he may even say, "Oh well, he should have kept up. Come on guys, let's get some grub." (Maybe I'm wrong about this theory).
I am the disciplinarian in our family. I know one reason Billy has left this daunting responsibility to me - because he is smarter than I am. It's another one of those things he figured out years ago. He realized that it was way too important to risk failure (the most important thing of all!) and he was smart enough to back away. I was just stupid enough to think I could handle the job and accepted the responsibility willingly.
And it's not like Billy is completely absent - he just stands far enough away from the line of fire to not get hit and close enough in case I really need him. But, truth be told, I'm the mean one and he's the nice one in our family. I've been known to say, "I know they think I'm mean. I know they may even hate me sometimes. And their father is the nice one. I don't care. If it gets them to where I think they need to go, that's okay with me. They don't have to like me, as long as they are successful and confident and completely sure of their convictions when they go out into the world.
My daughter, Chloe, said to me, in a recent serious talk we had, "I don't think you realize that you are at the top of my list of people that I care about ... the very top person. I care more about what you think of me than anyone else."
This is the most important comment any of my children have ever said to me.
It is exhausting keeping my children in that line - on that straight path. This comment Chloe made was her way of making me realize that she listens and trusts what I say. It was, to me, important because it was the first time I actually felt like someone had given me a high-five ... for being a mother. Her saying this, said that I was as important to her as she is to me and that is huge. To have my child see me ... as relevant, to not only her survival, but to her success, is monumental in the scheme of raising my children.
It's not easy to admit that I could reach the point of actually believing that any of my children might harbor hateful feelings towards me because they don't quite understand my motives and good intentions. Hopefully, one day, they will realize that all those lessons that seemed so mean or strict were just me ... frantically searching to the ends of the ocean ... to bring them back.
On the upside ... I am certain that it will all be worth it - totally certain!
I have read many a children's book over the past 16 years.
I've read to Courtney.
I've read to Chloe.
I've read to Little Billy.
I've read to Alexis.
Courtney has read to her Mama.
Chloe has read to her Mama.
Little Billy has read to his Mama.
Alexis is still reading a lot to her Mama.
Alexis came to my room the other evening. "Read to me, Mama," she said.
I smiled into her sweet little face.
I wrinkled my nose.
I said ...
"Sorry, Babe. Tonight I'm readed to ... ME. Now get on outta here."
I got SUCKED into Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series a little less than a month ago. I am nearly done. This is the last book and I am about 3/4 of the way through. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and already feel the withdrawal symptoms creeping in - I don't want it to be over. But, it will be over, soon.
So ... I searched my twins' book collection and have found a few more books I plan to read once I finish Twilight.
This is my nightstand.
I'm on a reading roll.
It's been so long since I've wanted to read - for me - you know.
Now I'm hooked again.
On the upside ... I always take time to read to my kids, but lately I am reading ... to ME! Alexis might just have to go find her daddy.
When I was pregnant with my twins, I wasn't aware until they were delivered that they were both girls and identical.
After delivering both of the girls, my doctor held up their umbilical cords and promptly announced, "When these girls get to be 18, you need to take them to Vegas because these are two lucky girls." Not only had the twins tied their umbilical cord in a knot, but upon further inspection the doctor noticed that one of the cords had torn away from the placenta and was hanging on by only blood vessels.
Courtney and Chloe are mono-amniotic twins. These are the rarest type of identical twins. Unlike most identical twins, they shared the same amniotic sac and the same placenta in the womb. This is a very dangerous twin-type and as so results in a high mortality rate for one or both twins. We were very lucky that our twins were delivered safely and healthy at 36 weeks. They were born on Good Friday - 17 years ago.
When we first brought them home they weighed about 5 lbs. each and slept in the same crib for months. I always faced them toward each other in their crib as I imagined if they couldn't see the other they might get lonely.
I always dressed them alike up until they got to the age (10 or 11) where they refused to let me do it anymore. When they were babies, I always had them wear shoes and socks - even if we stayed home all day (which was most days). I just couldn't resist dressing them up. They were my sweet little doll-babies.
I find it very hard to believe that 17 years has passed.
In some ways it is sad to look back on all those years - but in so many more ways it brings me tremendous happiness.
It has been a JOY having these girls in my life.
I knew from the very first moment I found out I was pregnant with them that they were and would remain one of the greatest blessings of my life.
And ...
They are.
I love them more than I have words to describe and I am so very proud of them.
HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY
COURTNEY AND CHLOE!
May your life always be filled with as much happiness as you have brought to mine.
Pop quiz guys! Who was the first president of the United States? We all know the answer to that: George Washington. Now who was the second? What? Not as many people can answer that. Now what if I was to ask you "who is the first person to fly solo in an airplane across the Atlantic?" Lindbergh right? But what about the second person? What? Indicentally, Bette recently took the honor to be the first girl to model the the first See by Chloe Fragrance campaign which should hit public circulation in Feb. 2013. Mark that one down for the history books, and congratulations to Bette.
They have always gotten really good grades in school and have taken challenging courses - always.
I was never that smart in school.
I'm still not all that smart.
Anyways ... recently, Chloe got a lower grade than she expected on an algebra II test.
She says that she was very upset when she got the test back and she began to cry. She says that a friend (a boy) that sits near her in the algebra class asked her why she was so upset and she explained, "I got a C," tears streaming down her face.
"You're upset, because you got a C?" the boy was confused.
"My mom will be mad," Chloe tried to explain, "She will probably take away my phone and then my IPOD and then ... she'll take away my books," more tears.
"She'll take away your books?" the boy asked, "How will you study?" he was even more confused.
"Not my school books, " she clarified, "The books I read just for ... fun."
She says the boy's eyes kind of glazed over and he said, "You do that ... read books for f-un?"
She and I could not stop laughing.
It's true.
Sometimes ... I threaten to take away their books.
On the upside ... You know that saying, "The apple does not fall far from the tree"? That saying does not always apply. When I was a kid ... my parents would have had to have threatened to ... MAKE ME READ A BOOK, as punishment! My girls ... I threaten to take them away (*throws head back and laughs loudly at the thought of how ridiculous this sounds - HAHAHAHAHAHA*)!
It didn't take long for those darling babies - those precious baby girls ...
To grow ...
The years just flew by ...
Until one day ...
Those baby girls were ...
16 years old .
Playing high school basketball and ...
Needin' cars!
So ...
The cowboy ...
Being the true Texas boy that he is ...
Searched ...
And searched ...
And searched ...
Far and wide ...
For the ...
Perfect car ...
For his twin daughters.
Until ...
One day ...
He found it!
"IT'S A MUSTANG!" the twins exclaimed!
"It's NOT YET!" the mother muttered.
"It will be beautiful," the cowboy stated - in a thick Texas drawl.
And then ...
He put those girl twins ...
To work!
Courtney sanding a fender - or something.
Chloe - holding a fender - or something!
Note the Texas dog in the background with the red bandanna around his neck!
The trio - hanging fenders - or something!
Shuffling the body parts around the yard.
Chloe inspecting a fender - or something!
Sanding some more.
Courtney - looks like she knows what she's doing!
They seem to enjoy this Texas - let's build our own car - stuff!
Well ... I don't know that "enjoy" is the accurate word!
The cowboy is in heaven.
Building a car.
Spending time with his twin girls.
Making a BIG OL' REDNECK MESS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DRIVEWAY!
On the upside ... One day - It WILL be a car. I have no doubt. It will have an engine. And doors. It will even have seats and a steering wheel. When that day comes ... I will take a picture. And ... that will be the end of the "car building" around here ---- that is ... until that boy child turns 16 .... and we'll likely do it all over again!
*Note - To those new readers that have come to my site to read this post through Stumble Upon - welcome! And ... thanks for coming by. While you are here ... I hope you will take time to read some of my other posts - I'd love to share my stories with you. If you like my site - please subscribe to my site in your reader, as I post new stories daily and would be honored if you came back again . I'd also appreciate a thumbs up on this post if you liked it - thanks - Kellan
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