Yesterday, my daughter asked me if she could invite some friends over for the evening. I said, "no". I explained to her how I've had teenagers coming and going in my home all of my life. I said, recalling my last episode of "teenagers", "your brother, sometimes there would be 20 + teenagers at my home when I got there". My daughter replied, with the biggest grin, "my turn now mom". I said, "ok, but, they cannot come in the house. They have to stay outside. They have to pee outside." Yes, she knew exactly what I meant. Follow the rules of my home.
I told folks at work I was having teenagers over so they supplied me with "left over breakfast foods" from the breakfast we had given that morning. That'll work. I picked up my daughter Beth and her boyfriend Daniel from school. Came home and made turkey, no, I thought I had laid out turkey, but it was actually chicken, so we had chicken burgers. While they are eating, the first to arrive was Katherine. Then came Nick followed by Connor. Then driving up was Annie and Kelsey, followed in his vehicle, Michael. Yes, I interrogated the ones I did not know. Scared them to death. Yes, they follow rules.
I walked across the street to speak to Barry and his wife Gwen. The kids were making a new fire pit, in front of our cranberry tree. That tree holds memories of its own. My kids when they were very, very small would climb it. It is not a very good climbing tree. Yes, Barry remembered the previous years of "fire pits". The "fire pits" of those days always ended "bitter". There was always someone there wanting to control and not letting folks just "be". Anyway, I came back home and found my rake broken. Do not know why Daniel thought he could dig a hole with a rake! I explained to him how to dig the hole. They took the rocks from the corner of my yard, where I had a dead tree removed, and wrapped around the hole. Yes, it was a mighty fine firepit!
Nick, who works at blockbuster, and also this is his first year in attending Nashville School of the Arts, as is Daniel's first year also, Nick ordered pizza and paid for it. I said, "Nick, why did you do that?" He replied, "that's just who I am". I take Nick to school in the mornings, as his parents, when necessary bring Beth home after school.
Last night, as we sat and laughed and told stories around that campfire, and Michael, who presented himself to me at first as very cautious, shy, (he attends a different school than the rest) spent the majority of the time video taping everyone else. Before the night was over, everyone was laughing, and literally rolling around that campfire. I made up some of the most ridiculous stories, not knowing where in the world they were coming from, yet, as all of these teenagers are now named different "colors", and recalling Daniel as saying, "I want to be orange, can I be orange?" To just sit and watch and listen to these marvelous teenage brains and putting ideas into their heads and seeing what comes out is the most beautiful, heartfelt thing! Imaginations dancing around the fire!!!
After the boys left, I went to bed. Oops, I closed the door and it locks automatically. Shortly, thereafter, the girls found themselves locked out of the house. I was awakened by my daughter banging on my bedroom window. So, yes, they came in and made pallets on the floor. Waking up this morning to my daughter knocking on my bedroom door, as I tell her "I am awake". She comes in and tells me how much fun everyone had last night...recalling every individual detail. She tells me about Taylor, another friend, who arrived after I had gone to bed. She said when Taylor saw all my paintings of naked women, Taylor said, "nipples, nipples, I see nipples everywhere!" Then, Taylor, also a student at NSA, began imitating different women, as my daughter "imitated" what Taylor had done. It was hilarious. She then says, "we've gotta get more firewood mom".
I then went outside to find the fire still smoldering. The girls assured me that they had hosed down the firepit before locking themselves in our home at 10:30 last night. (Rules.) They then showed me the video they had made of themselves before going to sleep. I laughed until I cried. And yes, just checking on that firepit, the fire is still smoldering, safely in the hole, in the middle of the rocks. Yet, the smoke was a little overwhelming here in our neighborhood, so I poured water on the burning wood, and put the fire out. The smoke is not so bothersome at night when everyone else seems to be tucked away in their houses. But I did throw some white sage in there before putting it out.
I told folks at work I was having teenagers over so they supplied me with "left over breakfast foods" from the breakfast we had given that morning. That'll work. I picked up my daughter Beth and her boyfriend Daniel from school. Came home and made turkey, no, I thought I had laid out turkey, but it was actually chicken, so we had chicken burgers. While they are eating, the first to arrive was Katherine. Then came Nick followed by Connor. Then driving up was Annie and Kelsey, followed in his vehicle, Michael. Yes, I interrogated the ones I did not know. Scared them to death. Yes, they follow rules.
I walked across the street to speak to Barry and his wife Gwen. The kids were making a new fire pit, in front of our cranberry tree. That tree holds memories of its own. My kids when they were very, very small would climb it. It is not a very good climbing tree. Yes, Barry remembered the previous years of "fire pits". The "fire pits" of those days always ended "bitter". There was always someone there wanting to control and not letting folks just "be". Anyway, I came back home and found my rake broken. Do not know why Daniel thought he could dig a hole with a rake! I explained to him how to dig the hole. They took the rocks from the corner of my yard, where I had a dead tree removed, and wrapped around the hole. Yes, it was a mighty fine firepit!
Nick, who works at blockbuster, and also this is his first year in attending Nashville School of the Arts, as is Daniel's first year also, Nick ordered pizza and paid for it. I said, "Nick, why did you do that?" He replied, "that's just who I am". I take Nick to school in the mornings, as his parents, when necessary bring Beth home after school.
Last night, as we sat and laughed and told stories around that campfire, and Michael, who presented himself to me at first as very cautious, shy, (he attends a different school than the rest) spent the majority of the time video taping everyone else. Before the night was over, everyone was laughing, and literally rolling around that campfire. I made up some of the most ridiculous stories, not knowing where in the world they were coming from, yet, as all of these teenagers are now named different "colors", and recalling Daniel as saying, "I want to be orange, can I be orange?" To just sit and watch and listen to these marvelous teenage brains and putting ideas into their heads and seeing what comes out is the most beautiful, heartfelt thing! Imaginations dancing around the fire!!!
After the boys left, I went to bed. Oops, I closed the door and it locks automatically. Shortly, thereafter, the girls found themselves locked out of the house. I was awakened by my daughter banging on my bedroom window. So, yes, they came in and made pallets on the floor. Waking up this morning to my daughter knocking on my bedroom door, as I tell her "I am awake". She comes in and tells me how much fun everyone had last night...recalling every individual detail. She tells me about Taylor, another friend, who arrived after I had gone to bed. She said when Taylor saw all my paintings of naked women, Taylor said, "nipples, nipples, I see nipples everywhere!" Then, Taylor, also a student at NSA, began imitating different women, as my daughter "imitated" what Taylor had done. It was hilarious. She then says, "we've gotta get more firewood mom".
I then went outside to find the fire still smoldering. The girls assured me that they had hosed down the firepit before locking themselves in our home at 10:30 last night. (Rules.) They then showed me the video they had made of themselves before going to sleep. I laughed until I cried. And yes, just checking on that firepit, the fire is still smoldering, safely in the hole, in the middle of the rocks. Yet, the smoke was a little overwhelming here in our neighborhood, so I poured water on the burning wood, and put the fire out. The smoke is not so bothersome at night when everyone else seems to be tucked away in their houses. But I did throw some white sage in there before putting it out.
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