By the way, I, too, am routinely experiencing many exasperating parenting issues…I have a seventeen year old boy who thinks he lives in the shadow of his nineteen year old, ballet dancing brother. He is quite dramatic…so “acting out” always has a unique spin. He’s been brought home in a police car for having entertained homeless people while dressed in an abandoned refrigerator box. Of course, Alex knew he hadn’t broken any laws and wanted the police office to tell him exactly…like, the code number…of his transgression. The poor officer was totally frustrated and just said, “Here, you handle it” before driving quickly away. This week, we are celebrating an interim report card that (for a rare change) doesn’t have any Ds or Fs.

I didn’t have the elder son until I was 28 years old. My mother was really worried about us. She always said that “having children is for the young and stupid” and she was worried that we’d “wise up” before having any! She also said that “parenting” is not a word…it’s a “life sentence”. I guess we’re in for the long, long haul.

Susan