Nothing all that exciting happened, but it was a good day. It's spring break and Allie and Jane are off on their visit with Kraig and his family. Doug is out of town doing inventory work in Wenatchee. That leaves Krysty, Fi and me together without any kind of real big agenda. Krysty made it to to about noon before she started with the "Mom, I'm bored" and really I could use a little something else to do, too. So, we headed out to the mall for a little shopping. Alright, I'll admit it didn't really take much coaxing and it was a fun day. We had lunch together and wandered the mall a bit. While shopping with a teenager is about as exciting as watching paint dry, and a little taxing on the wallet I didn't mind. I managed to get out of there for only a pair of jeans and a couple tank tops.
The soundtrack for the day was mostly gum popping and the sounds of thumbs on a keyboard, but there were laughs in there, too. Krystyne and I have come to a mutual understanding lately. I'm Mom, she's the Kid and we both have our rolls to play. She gets that I'm just doing the "mom thing" and that nothing I'm doing is a personal attack. I think the real rebellion has slowly leaked out of her. She's realized that it's easier just to do as I ask and that it isn't really all that much. I know I'm not out of the proverbial woods with her, but it seems as though we've at the very least entered a clearing. It seems as though she's realized that I'm a person and that I come with all the limitations that any other person can have. But with that she has also realized that I am not perfect and am not the end all, be all of everything. I am fallible and have my limitations but am doing the best with what I have been able to scrounge up in expertise and experience over the years. Thankfully that seems to be good enough for her.
I still get gum chewing, exasperation, eye-rolling, attitude, and mood swings. It's hard to believe that we've come to this understanding together. I'm enjoying it while it is here. I am content to have moved from the realm of being the embodiment of embarrassment and festering resentment - due to my tyrannical and completely illogical and unreasonable demands of what is so obviously a perfect child - to being a necessary-(while not entirely) evil until she can unleash her vast superiority and sophistication on the unsuspecting and ill prepared general population.
Lord help us all.
Today I am thankful for this time alone with my teenage daughter. Tomorrow I might not be so lucky. I'm glad I am today.
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