Family Meeting (aka you're ALL in the doghouse)!

The Family Meeting. In parent speak, we know this really means....you are all in big trouble and we will mask it as a democratic gathering of the minds but by the time we are finished with all you rotten kids...you'll be seeing things OUR WAY for a change. Or the Family Meeting can also be known as "The. Last. Straw."

Anyway, Mr. Hubband and I are blessed in the fact that together we have four handsome, nice, smart and funny children that have blended very easily into a big ole family. They all have their own tastes, their own personalities, their own likes and dislikes. But they have one thing in common....they are all GREAT KIDS. I know. It sounds too good to be true. But its not. They truly are wonderful boys.

EXCEPT. Except when the wind changes, the heavens collide, there is a full moon, their skin turns green, the bat symbol goes up in the sky and they become.... TEENAGERS. It doesn't happen all the time thank GAWD, but when it happens...oh it happens.

And this past weekend? It. Happened. Oh boy did it happen. It triple dipple dog Happened.

I can't speak for everyone. But for me I know that there are those times that we see or hear someone elses child doing something bad at some stage of development (IE. terrible twos) and we think...."If I parent right, MY child will never throw a tantrum." "If I parent well, MY teenager will never be a total self-centered snot bag." "If I am a good parent, MY grown son or daughter will call me with regularity and tell me what's going on in their life and to see how I'm doing."

All right. Pick yourself up off the floor from laughing so hard. I know that at the same time I was thinking these things - there was also the voice of reason trying to break through and speak the truth. This is not reality. But we still hope. And we pray. And we speak to the gods of that far away land of Teenager and hope that they just. don't. talk. back.

But they do. And we blame ourselves. We blame their friends. The Internet. The TV. Then we curse the gods of Teenager and wag our fists at the heavens.

Then when we are done with all the cursing and the blaming and ranting and raving, the light bulb goes on and we know what to do! We have an idea!

Behold. The birth of the Family Meeting. Or the bane of every teen's existence. We get to talk to them! And they have to listen! Oh Boy. Do they HATE That! But we just know it will work. It has to, right? Isn't it what all good parents do? (blech...kidding here folks) What we do know for sure is that the Family Meeting is parent speak for sovereign rule under the guise of democracy.

But this was different. This meeting was good.

Last night's family meeting on the state of the union of our teenagers' 'tudes, well, it was so. well received. They actually got it. Truly got it! And I mean its as if while speaking to these boys that the heaven's above their heads opened up, the sun shone through and a chorus of angels sang in harmony " We get it and we will always be sweet, nice and respectful boys to our wonderful parents".

And then that voice of reality spoke again (I'm not sure if its my mother's voice or not...but sometimes it does sound a lot like her) and she said...." For Now."

Until the next tail......