Clothes encounters of the good kind
I missed the invasion of the body snatchers.
Not the movie, the real-life invasion that happened in my own home.
Someone took away my 15-year-old son who could always care less about what he wore, and swapped him for someone who actually matches every day, whose T-shirts don’t look like they are 20 years old and whose hand has not only touched the iron … but used it!
I knew I was being duped by the fifth day of school.
Where was my son? You know, the real guy that I’ve had to lecture (or felt like I had to) practically all of the previous school years about dressing for success and first appearances and all that?
What happened to the teenager that I swore I wouldn’t speak to if he saw me on the street when he was dressed in the wrinkled T-shirt and khaki shorts (and he has 20 pair of them, I swear) that became his standard uniform.
I’d looked in his closet and seen with my own eyes the many shirts, pants and shorts that we’d shopped for … looking just as nice and neat as they had when we bought them because he had never worn them.
So in comes this new, cool dude.
Trying, of course, to act casual about this latest transformation.
I haven’t let him know that I’m on to him. I like the changes to0 much to say anything positive about it (the kiss of death as many moms already know).
I probably would have said something about it had I thought for one minute that he was finally heeding my years-long litany of advice.
No, that’s not it at all.
This clothes encounter, this invasion, this transformation is all thanks to …
A GIRL.
Carla
Fun(draisers) times!
My four-year-old son earlier this week brought home his school’s first fundraiser (sort of): a Scholastic Book Club flyer.
While it provided a great opportunity to buy inexpensive books without leaving my house, I also felt somewhat guilty.
I assumed there will be other club flyers this year, so I only bought three books. I also assumed his mother would buy books.
However, would I be a bad parent if I didn’t buy at least one item from my son’s school fundraisers, including $1 books from the Scholastic Book Club? I’m a newbie at the whole public school thing.
Any help would be appreciated.
Write comments below to share with others, too.
Thanks!
— Brian Sargent
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90210 — The scariest zip code around
I was a few years past my teens when “Beverly Hills, 90210″ made its TV debut in 1990. But I was close enough to the character’s ages (and probably younger than some of the baby-faced actors) to enjoy the high school drama and intrigue.
So I was excited to watch the show’s reincarnation, simply titled “90210,” that premiered last night. A few original characters are back, playing the adults this time, and a new crowd of beautiful, rich and naughty teens rules the roost.
But for this viewer, a bigger change had taken place. Instead of envying the teens escapades, I now watched from Mom-mode. When a 15-year-old girl goes on a date with a classmate in a private airplane, I saw danger, not romance. When another character spikes her drink at the Peach Pit, I hoped she wasn’t driving home (in her no-doubt luxury hot-rod.)
It was still an entertaining show, don’t get me wrong. I’m just watching it from a different perspective now. One rooted in reality. Scary, huh?
Susan Simpson
Surviving Gameday
Well, we made it. My 2-year-old boy, Hunter and I came from an OU game relatively unscathed. Rain delay and all.
I learned alot Saturday, so I would like to share my newfound knowledge with other parents.
Here are my tips when bringing a toddler to a major sporting event:
1. Bring your own snacks. OU will let you bring in food for babies and small children, so load up and skip the $4 hot dogs. We brought pretzels, Cheerios mix and Rice Krispies treats.
2. Freeze a big bottle of water and pack it in your bag. My son got to stay cool all through a hot game and I didn’t have to spend money on the super-expensive water at the stadium.
3. Keep your child engaged in the game. By the end of the first quarter, Hunter knew to say “Touchdown!” and “Ooooooooo U!” It made the game a blast for me and him.
4. At the first sight of lightning, LEAVE. We made the mistake of waiting until it was too late, and I was stuck underneath a stadium with about 50,000 other people braving the rotating thunderstorm directly above us. Not to mention the very long trek through mud afterward to catch a shuttle. My arms are still sore from carrying my little 30-pound Sooner fan all that way.
5. Bring your camera. Yes, they’re allowed and you won’t want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this one …
~ERICA SMITH
