Help! I Need Help! The Drama...

"I can't wait until I turn 13, I won't be a kid anymore." That is direct from the mouth of my 12-year old daughter. After she said that I am thinking really? Not a kid? I thought that was quite funny. I think this whole thing stems from me putting my foot down about my expectations of the upcoming summer.

She comes home after school yesterday and reports to me that she has a note for me, but she is not interested because it takes up too much of her time and she won't be able to sleep in this summer and it would just ruin everything.

I take the note and it is about being involved in summer band. Practice would be 3 days a week from 9am-noon (summer practice), 1 day a week starting in April after school, and a few evening concerts during the summer months at local parks and band shells. You would of thought I was about to sign her up for prison or something. The drama that started...the crying....the I am NOT going to do it and you CAN'T make me. BLAH BLAH BLAH.....

Now, I don't want to be the parent that forces their child into doing something they don't want to do, but I know she loves playing the flute. She is always playing it and even tells me she is looking forward to next school year to be part of band again. I think this whole thing revolves around control and what she thinks. Or the fact that she wants to waste her days sleeping or her nights being on MY SPACE until who knows what time.

I gave her a couple options:

1. Sign up for Continental Band and suck it up!!

OR

2. You will go to a 1 week overnight camp. (That choice would probally stress her out)

I also told her to think of some good reasons why she shouldn't do the summer band, and her only thing was I can't sleep in.

Am I being too hard on her? Should I make her do one or the other? Will this force her to rebel? HELP! I am new to this almost teenager thing.

Going Dry...until Thanksgiving

I went running yesterday with hubby and bf Cari. Let's just say it was mighty cold (windchill around 20), my face was frozen, my pants kept falling down, and my stomach was in knots (too many Hook and Ladders the night before). I did run 5 miles. I did okay..48 minutes. The turkey run is coming up. I want to do great, so no more Hook and Ladder until after the race. What kills me is that Cari ran 4 more miles than me ( 9 total) and she drank just as much as I did. WTF?? I will say that she is way younger than me so maybe that is why. Saturday night was a celebration of the Wisconsin Badger win over Minnesota. Go Badgers!!

I went to buy the book New Moon yesterday and it was gone. I was so bummed about that. I really wanted to start the book. So instead I bought the soundtrack to the movie Twilight. I listened to it on my way to work today. I really liked it and will download it to my MP3 player. That should help on race day.

I took the girls to the mall this weekend. Alyssa had money burning a hole in her pocket so I took her and Emma came along too. I knew I had another reason to take Alyssa shopping...it was time for the sex talk. There has been some recent discussions within her friends, that I thought it was time to find out what she knew and how much I needed to explain. In a nut shell she told me sex is getting naked and rubbing your body parts together. I told her you kind of understand and she thought doing that was nasty. I guess people call it doing "The Nasty." I continued to tell her it really isn't gross or anything and that you need to make good choices and should fully understand the meaning. I asked how old you should be and she said 24. For now, I will leave it at that. We will talk about this again I am sure of it and hopefully she still thinks 24. My little girl is growing up and she is only 12.

My Space? Really?

What should I do? Last night my oldest daughter asked me to open a My Space account for her. Last year it was her own email account, this summer a cell phone with unlimited texting, now a My Space? I can't believe that she is growing up way too quickly. She almost can fit in my shoes. (seriously fit in my shoes and is always taking my socks). HELP!

More Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday Alyssa!! Today you are 12 years old. Where did the time go? It is so hard for me to believe that today you are 12. It seems like yesterday you were born and I became your Mom. Hiking July 2008

Dear Alyssa,

I am so proud of you and who you are becoming. You are a beautiful girl who thinks of others. You are responsible, caring, kind, thoughtful, and a good student. Know that your Mom and Dad love you so much. Know that if we get upset with you that we just care about you and are trying to guide you and teach you, not hurt you. Have a wonderful birthday.

Mom

Christmas 2007~ before contacts.