You Know You’re Ghetto When…
Jan 31, 2005 A day in our life
You have a desk lamp lighting your fish tank. And…
you have a safety pin closing up the pee hole in your boxer shorts. And not just any safety pin, but a baby diaper pin.
We are so classy.
[On a side note, you can see Spencer's new fish, Cool, and one of our old timers, Tiger, in the picture above. Not that you can see them very well, but at least there is proof that we really do have fish in that tank. Apparently they like the ghetto desk lamp and decided to come out and play.]
Who’s Smarter
Jan 29, 2005 A day in our life
Lee got the mail this afternoon and once again (just like every term before) Lee made the Dean’s List. So he came downstairs to show it to me and he goes “It’s just not an honor to get these anymore ’cause they give them to everybody” as he threw me mine. So we both made the Dean’s List this last term. We are so smart.
So this turned in to a little “Who’s Smarter” battle. Lee got online to see what his GPA was for the Fall term. He had four classes for six total credit hours. I had two classes for seven total credit hours. Lee’s GPA was 3.598 and mine was 3.617. So I’m smarter. Plhaaaat! [That's me with my tongue out at Lee.]
Teens and Sex
Jan 26, 2005 Help Me! I have a teenager
As most of you are aware, Justis will turn 13 this year. I’m sure he’s ready for it, but I certainly am not. He has already started to notice changes in his body and he’s also noticed differences in his body in comparison to other boys.
The gym locker room is a horrible place for teenage boys and girls. I remember the locker room in high school. Every gym class was such a traumatic experience for me. Especially during swimming class when I had to strip naked.
And I would never shower. I would rather stink then shower completely naked with strangers. I would slather on lots of deoderant, but showering was out of the question.
Besides changes in his body, Justis is also showing interest in girls. Actually, he’s shown interest for many years, but I think the feelings have turned from more of an innocent “liking” to an actual “lusting” for girls. So I guess the sex talks are way overdue. But I am so not ready for them. At least I get to break myself in slowly with this one because Justis has his mother to talk to and Lee to share feelings with. So in Justis’ case I am just a third wheel. But that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about him and his overactive libido.
Tonight on NBC, Katie Couric hosted a show called The 411 on Teens and Sex. NBC News and People magazine completed a survey on teen sex; interviewing 1000 teens from 13 to 16 years old and their parents. There were some eye-opening facts about teens (13 year olds even) and sex. Especially oral sex. Did you know that the new third base is oral sex?!? What happened to just feeling under clothes?
I am the product of a teen pregnancy and I was pregnant as a teenager. So this is a huge concern of mine. I want to help my children make better decisions. According to the People survery 14% of 13 to 14 year olds have been sexually active (either oral sex or intercourse). That scares me to death. 41% of 15 to 16 years olds are sexually active. That’s almost half of all 16 year olds. That is down right terrifying.
The experts highly recommend talking to your teens about sex. Start early and talk often. Be prepared before you start a conversation. Write out some of your key points. Know what you want to say. Make eye contact with your teen and don’t interrupt when he/she is speaking. Encourage open and honest communication. And don’t be afraid to share some of your own experiences when appropriate. Be careful with that last one though. Your kid doesn’t need to know everything.
The show was very interesting and there is a great five page write up on MSNBC.com. Or you can study the entire survey. Check it out. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be an informed parent.
New Family Members
Jan 25, 2005 A day in our life
Skyler & Spencer picked out two new fish to join our family. I wish I could get a picture of them, but they are fast little suckers. Sklyer named her fish “Princess.” Princess is a very pretty yellow fish. Spencer named his “Cool.” Cool is a dark fish with some rainbow colors on his body. Princess and Cool have joined Blue and Tiger in the big fish tank. Tiger is kind of a bully and keeps chasing them all around, but I have faith they will all learn to get along. Come over some time and check out our fishy friends.
