2 Points

When the kids were small we decided that we would try different activities to see what they enjoyed. Through the years we have spent many hours involved in soccer, basketball, track, tumbling, swimming lessons, swim team, baseball, gymnastics, karate, cheerleading, violin, drums, trumpet. Not to mention piano. Both girls took lots of piano lessons and Annie took lessons for 10 years. 7 years from a Professor (who also has a doctorate) at the college. This cost lots of money but I kept telling myself it was an investment. I'm not sure an investment in what but it made myself feel better when I was paying a ridiculous amount of money each week.

Yesterday afternoon I was reading in the living room when my favorite teen-ager came in from school and sat down to talk to me.

Daughter: Mom, why didn't you make do something in highschool? All of my friends are involved in something. (note: she is involved in AP Art and is a yearbook editor but unless it involves some sort of BALL it is a meaningless activity in this town)

Me: You've tried lots of sports. You didn't like anything.

Daughter: I could have been a cheerleader.

Me: You were a cheerleader in middleschool. I encouraged you to try out in highschool. You did not want to, remember?

Daughter: You should have made me.

Me: I can't make you do anything like that. Did you want to me to force you to do something you didn't want to do?

Daughter: Yes. You should have forced me.

Me: Ok. We'll start today. I want you to start back up and play the keyboard again in the praise band at church. I was disappointed when you quit. You have all those years of piano and you are really good at it.

Daughter: That is different!! I don't want to do that.

Me: You are not allowed to come back to me in a couple of years and ask why I didn't force you stay in the praise band.

MOM - 2 POINTS

Later, we went to sign Abe up for Flag Football. (I guess I can add that to my list above). Heaven forbid he is asking me at the age of 17 why I didn't make him play football.

This is the conversation we had in the SUV:

Daughter: By the time your kids are teen-agers parenting is really easy. Isn't it? All the hard stuff is over.

Me (after I take out two cars, a light pole and a tree) : What did you just say?

Daughter: At least I have been an easy teen-ager. You have to admit, I'm pretty good.

ANNIE - 2 POINTS