When you have teens living in your house, the novel writes itself!

Good morning!

My son, Skippy, recently graduated from high school.  He informed us that he really didn't care to go to college right away since 1)  he had no clue what he wanted to do with the rest of his life and 2)  he sort of liked just hanging out in his basement bedroom building his alternative music collection, and going to class was really going to hamper that.

I informed him that he didn't have to go to college, but he did have to DO SOMETHING.  His most recent English teacher told me the boy has a flair for writing...(I'm so proud...and jealous. Had just one teacher told me I should be writing novels when I was 18 I wouldn't have waited until I was forty to publish anything!)  So I suggested that Skippy spend a year working and traveling around the country, meeting people from all walks of life and maybe getting a spark to either pick a reason for higher learning or finding material for a novel.

Little did I know that this would become novel material for me.

Want to see drama, romance, betrayal, tears, adventure, car chases, rage, and power grabs in a book?  Send your almost 19 year old son on a road trip with two or more female friends.

It's rather funny to see which of his female friends are willing to get in the car and share road time with him and his actual girlfriend.  The role of "buddy" and "chaperone" doesn't always sit well with some girls...especially those who have romantic feelings about him.

Such was the case late Monday night.  Boy child and girlfriend and another friend were in Nashville for a concert.  This was his first road trip, sort of a test trip since Hubby and I planned much of it for him.  The biggest understanding was that he and girlfriend were NOT traveling alone.  (I've been very blunt about not wanting to be a grandmother before I'm a mother in law.)

Late Monday night I got a phone call from Other Girl's mother saying that Other Girl wasn't comfortable hanging out with Skippy and girlfriend, because, well, Other Girl thought she was Skippy's girlfriend.

Color me stunned.

A few quick texts to Skippy revealed that yes, Other Girl bailed...Skippy was shocked because his entire relationship with OTher Girl was based on pure friendship...not one thing else.  However, MOM, not to worry.  Skippy has friends all over the place  (Apparently the Alternative music scene is pretty widespread) and he found Other other Girl to travel along with them.

The biggest hitch was the drive back.  See, they were all supposed to spend last night at Other Girl's house.  Given her newly revealed love for Skippy, Skippy decided to drive straight though.  So I'm sitting here in my office unable to make breakfast because Girlfriend is sleeping on the couch in the living room and I'd really hate to wake her.

So hey, what do I need with inspiration?  I've got the makings of a most excellent novel right here.  In my house. 

Got teens?  Just follow them around for a couple days...who knows what sort of material you'll dig up!  Or maybe Skippy has found inspiration for his new novel.

Darn kid better not outsell me!

Leaving the kids home alone.

Good morning!

So hubby and I are going to celebrate our wedding anniversary tonight. Our actual anniversary is Monday, but who celebrates anything on a Monday?

As luck would have it, I have a free night at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, courtesy of my win on 1029 The Hog's "You Still Can't Win" gameshow. (Note: If you don't listen to Bob and Brian in the morning, I truly believe you need to. They increase your quality of life. Find them streaming at www.1029thehog.com.) Also, my brother gave us a Gift Certificate to one of the many Bartelotta's restaurants in Milwaukee. (It was a Christmas present. More on that in a minute.)

So basically, it's a free night.

Ah, but what to do with the children?

See, the boy is 15, almost 16 and the girl is 12 going on 21. So, logic would say that they should be able to be left alone for a night. I mean, really, we're going to be 20 minutes away, it's not like we're going...out of town! (Okay, sort of out of town.)

So we went over the ground rules with them last night. Both hubby and I work full time, so they have a set of rules already in place for being alone. And since boy child is a big burly sort of kid, I don't worry that anyone is going to attack if they see him. Really, the kid is sturdy and when he wants to he can look really, really fierce. And not fierce like "Project Runway" fierce, but fierce like, "I think I'll try and invade someone else's home because that guy could probably do some serious physical damage to me."

So, with teens, the first rule is obvious. Boy: no girls in the house. Girl: No boys in the house.

Now, those who have been parents of teens longer than we have will see the problem immediately. It took hubby and me a bit to realize our mistake.

New rule: Boy: Only girl allowed in the house is your sister. Girl: Only boy allowed in the house is your brother.

There was a general groan of dissent, but smirky smiles soon dawned on their faces and hubby and I realized again, we'd left a loophole open.

NEWER RULE: GIRL: NO FRIENDS IN THE HOUSE. BOY: NO FRIENDS IN THE HOUSE.

This time our progeny exchanged glances and again, grins of evil lit their faces.

(How on earth did we birth so much evil? Damien wasn't this sneaky!)

NEWEST RULE: NO ONE IS ALLOWED IN THE HOUSE EXCEPT FOR THE TWO OF YOU!

This caused a sense of confusion between the two. Hubby and I were triumphant. We had finally set down the law of the house and could leave for an 18 hour period of grown up time.

Until....

Girl: But what if Grandma comes to the door? And it's raining? And she's bleeding?

(I should explain, the rule in my childhood home when my parents left us alone was: do not let anyone in the house unless you know their first name and they are bleeding. I've tried to enforce that rule in my own home, but I really don't want bleeding people just walking in willy nilly. You'd be surprised at how many bloodied teens do walk through my door.)

Exasperated, I looked at them both and shouted, "NO ONE, NOT NO ONE, NOT NO HOW IS ALLOWED IN THIS HOUSE OTHER THAN THE TWO OF YOU WHILE WE ARE IN MILWAUKEE CELEBRATING 19 YEARS OF WEDDED BLISS."

I'm actually sort of hoping my mother or mother in law shows up unannounced. The drama would be worthy of a solid suspense plot.