Tag: teens

The kindness of strangers

by Karen, posted in Angels, family, friends, teens

My daughter was working in a project for her history class that required her to do a Jackie Chan impersonation. This required her to wear a gi ( full disclosure: until I googled it I was spelling it ‘gee’-my bad). Izzy did take karate years ago…for about 5 minutes. Needless to say, we did not own a gi.

So first, I put the word out to the Wells Women Facebook page but got no responses.
Next, I called my brother, who took judo and/or karate for years. “Sure, I have one,” he told me, “but I have no idea where it is,” he finished. “I know I didn’t throw it away,” he added, helpfully. No good. We needed it right away.
Then I had a sudden impulse to ask my friend Teresa. I don’t know why. I just did. And although Teresa didn’t have one, she knew someone who did.
Angela was willing to let my daughter borrow her gi, no questions asked. Because of the kindness of one friend and one stranger, my daughter’s Jackie Chan rocked!
Thank you Teresa. Thank you Angela.
🙂

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Making a list

by Karen, posted in family, tweens
Back in 2007, when there was still one believer in the family

I’ve been working on my Christmas gift list recently, and I’ve warned the children that Christmas will be, um, leaner this year than in the past, so they should be prepared. I guess I kind of went a little overboard last year, and am trying not to repeat that this year, especially since the big guy in the red suit won’t be putting in an appearance. This year, we know.

I don’t know what kind of a reaction that I expected from them, but as so often happens, my kids surprised me.

“Oh, okay, Mom.” That was it, from both kids. I guess I expected some questions, at least, but no, they were fine with it. Moved right on.

I guess it’s just me then, feeling bad. This is our first personal “Year Without a Santa Claus”. Last year, right after the holiday my daughter approached me and uttered those words that every mother dreads (but every father welcomes):  “Mom, you and dad are Santa Claus, right?”

Sigh.

After I told her to go play and I’d get back to her, I furtively placed a call to my husband at work, relayed the devastating question, asking, “What do you think? She’s only ten! Should I tell her the truth?” and he said, “Of course! She’s ten! We should have told her years ago!”.

And right there, folks, is the difference between fathers and mothers (if I may be so bold as to apply our parental reactions to that of all parents).

I told her the truth.

She took it well. At the end, she said, “But the Easter Bunny, she’s real, right?”

🙂

Toy Story 3

by Karen, posted in family, good grief, tweens
Promotional Movie Poster for TOY STORY 3

When I take my daughter to see a (kids) movie, my expectations are generally quite low. I find this to be an effective strategy in maximizing any potential enjoyment of said movie, as well as to minimize any potential boredom (my other strategy is to bring my knitting and a book light; I can knit half a hat in the time it takes to yawn through a less than engaging movie!).  

Enter Toy Story 3, however, and all bets are off. I mean, this is a movie with which I have a history. I have a tweenage daughter, but have I mentioned that I also have a teenage son?  

The original Toy Story movie was released in 2005, when my son was just 6 years old. We were already quite fond of many of Disney’s movies, so seeing Toy Story was a given. Well, we both loved it. So, we had the Woody and Buzz Lightyear figures; we had the Potato Heads, first the Mr., and later on, the Mrs. (it could be that it was as much for my enjoyment as it was for his!). Life was good.  

Many years passed, as of course they will, and now my son is 18 years old. He is in college. He is in the process of creating his own life (read: without parents hovering over his shoulder). To paraphrase Matt from the Matty in the Morning Radio Show, did I really need to see this right now? The boy in the movie giving away all of his toys and leaving home? “I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breathe,” he said. Okay, so…I can relate. Big time.  

My husband and I went to see this movie together (this did make me notice the strange lack of a male parent in these movies), and we both agreed that it was excellent, moving, and poignant…and difficult to watch. We were overwhelmed.  

So, are you the parent of a teenager who is leaving/has recently left the nest? If you are on the fence about seeing Toy Story 3, may I nudge off of it, in the direction of seeing the movie? You must not miss this. Go. Bring any remaining off-spring you have around the house. They will enjoy no less, albeit on a different level.  

Oh, and bring Kleenex.