Dad's Birthday

 Happy 83rd Birthday to my daddy! It was so nice to be with my family tonight. Shelby made and decorated his cake. Her Granny Rose would have been very proud.

Recycled Lies

Ever sat quietly listening to your teenager as they lie to you? Not only are you aware that they are lying...but somehow the lie sounds amazingly familiar? Suddenly you realize why it sounds familiar...it is the same lie you told your own parents when you were their age. It just happened our home recently and I found myself quite torn as to handle the situation. To be perfectly honest... there have been quite a few of those deja vu moments between children and myself.

I know why he lied to me...the same reason I lied to my mother. He knew I would not approve....and he was right. Here was my chance to handle it better than my mother right? Wrong! I tried so hard to be diplomatic and explain to him why I could not approve. However, in some crazy twist of developmental fate, my teen actually believes that there is no way his mother can possibly understand or recall what it is like to be young. He really does see me as the out-of-touch, square dufus’ I saw in my own parents.

I know that it is not always easy to be a teenager and that "this too shall pass". More than likely...he will hear those recycled lies from his own children. But it sure hurts when your child is mad at you...and someday he will realize that it is not always easy to be a parent.