Summer was so nice...the kids were mellow, and nice and respectful. I was mellow, and nice, and didn't nag. Well, you know - much. We all got along. Everyone was happy.
But school started three weeks ago.
My teenager is back.
We are overscheduled, and I am stressed.
Unfortunately, that means that my inner Mommie Dearest is back as well.
My teenage boy is consumed with thoughts of fishing, girls, computer games, eating, girls, sports, girls, eating, girls, fishing, eating and girls.
I am consumed with him keeping his grades up, studying, keeping his room clean, whether he has taken care of his skin, whether his pants are pulled up, keeping his grades up, cleaning his room, doing his chores, and keeping his grades up.
We clash sometimes.
We clashed a lot this morning.
Well, actually - it was mostly just me who clashed.
Mommie Dearest was busy lecturing and nagging him all the way to school about trying harder, focusing, eating healthier food, being more respectful, and on and on and on. He just slouched in his seat and mumbled, "yes ma'am" whenever I would pause for a breath (or whenever I would pause for a breath and say acerbically, "Don't you have something to say about that?"), and occasionally he glared at me. When he thought I wasn't looking.
He's lazy, but he's not stupid.
Because of this auspicious start to the day, it is now 7:20 AM and I am already exhausted.
I love my son, but he wears me out.
Sigh.
Wasn't it a beautiful sunrise this morning, however? It was very relaxing to come home to that gorgeous view and decompress with a cup of coffee, after being forced to nag and scold and turn into Mommie Dearest at 6:30 this morning.
In other news:
Yesterday afternoon, I discovered that we had an uninvited guest sunning itself out by the pool.
EEEWWWW!!!
It was hiding behind the fishing poles.
I used my zoom to take these pictures, as I stayed a safe distance away from the yucky thing.
But then, I moved a bit to try to take a picture from another angle...
...and it started doing this slithering, jumping, leaping thing which made me shriek unbecomingly and leap backwards in horror and totally freak out.
I decided to run in the house to give the snake (and myself) time to calm down.
I went back out about 20 minutes later to see if it was still there and I couldn't find it. Apparently, hopefully, he left the same way he came in.
I think I will go scatter mothballs around outside again.
Update: 9:30 AM. I just had a call from the school...my poor little boy is sick. Great. Now I feel like the world's most awful mother. I yelled and berated a sick child. Mommie Dearest strikes again. Sigh.
