Reality check. My two boys are, without a doubt, two of the very best things in my life.  They make me smile, they make me proud, and they make me so very  happy… but truth be told- they often make me behave in a way I know I would not want taped by hidden camera.  

My older guy, Ryan  is 13- Liam is 5. Ryan has a junior high dance at school coming up. We were in the car, and I asked if he wanted to get anything new to wear. As a teen- I remember a dance was a mandatory trip to the mall- but they weren’t malls then- just stores.  They hadn’t learned to travel in packs yet.

Turns out, teen age boys feel its fine to pull something off the floor, and if it passes the “whiff test” (smelling it when your mother’s back is turned to see if it is clean) and call it a day.  No surprise- Ryan said he was fine-  after little bit of silence, in the car as we drove, I asked:

“um…is there anyone you’re going with?”
“yeah Mom, the whole 7th and 8th grades are going” (followed by the all too common eye roll)
“No kiddo- I mean- going with?”
He looked at me like I was speaking in tongues
“Is there a girl you want to ask?  maybe go out for ice cream afterwards?”
” NO MOM! We don’t do that- This isn’t the nerdy 80’s-!”

Then he proceeds to crack up.  Partly at my dropped jaw.  Partly in pride of his new found “wise guy” skills that emerged the day he turned 13. His little brother then follows in laughter.

I flip on the radio to drown them out and it is tuned to the oldies station.  Madonna is on.  Like a Prayer.  *sigh* Madonna is on the oldies station.  Yep.  There’s no fighting it.  I’m just going to have to do like Frankie says, and “Relax”. I crank it up- roll down the windows and sing along REAL loud.  They are mortified.

Revenge is sweet.