A Yankee has Landed in Texas

And a beautiful couple they are - young, still in high school, vibrant, energetic and anxious to spend time together whenever, wherever they can.  How about her parents house?  It’s a nice place.  They could sit together on the sofa and watch TV.  Her parents understand young love - they won’t be in the way, even though both the “prince charming” and his princess know full well that nothing improper is tolerated; in other words, no funny business allowed!  At least they’ll be together laughing, sharing, talking.  Wonderful idea! 

The prince shows up at the appointed time, greets the mom & dad appropriately and sits down on the sofa.  The princess and the prince charming decide what they want to watch on TV.  They turn on their special program and the mom and dad disappear into another part of the house.  How perfect!  The young couple are enjoying their program and being together.  Then, something happens.  Right in the middle of their show, a singer appears.  The singer starts out singing a song that was popular perhaps 18 years ago, during the time the mom and dad were dating.  The mom and dad hear the music, that good old rock and roll, and they get excited, so much so that they emerge vigorously from their quiet place, singing loudly and enthusiastically performing the motions they had performed so many years ago.  They swayed from side to side and held one arm in the air as if holding a lighter while at a concert and they grinned from ear to ear and sang their hearts out.  They even danced a little and played some air guitar.  They took their places at the side of the TV in plain sight of the royal couple and, when it was over, back they went to their own space, quiet once again.   The prince and princess just looked at each other and went back to watching their show.

The TV show ended, the prince said goodnight to all and left.  The princess looked at her mom and dad and remarked, “Well that was awkward!”  They all said goodnight and went to bed! 

Was that more awkward for the prince?  Or the princess?  Or no one?!  You decide!

Do you ever have fun with your kids?  Teenagers especially?  Amid the rolling eyes and grumpy good mornings, do you keep smiling and try to be silly?  I try hard not to let the moments when foul moods strike set the tone.  Someone told me once that as the mom, I am the one who sets the tone of my household.  That was an eye opener for me.  I had been thinking, “Man, all we do is fight in our house.  I can’t stand it.  Why is everything yelling and so negative.”  After my friend told me that I set the tone, I realized that I had the power to change it.  I love laughing with my kids and my husband.  I try to take deep breaths when things start going south in our household and do or say something stupid or silly.  Often, I purposely say something so dumb that I know my kids will crack up.  At first, I think they thought I really was that dumb.  But, they’ve come to realize that I’m not really a dumbo, I’m just playing one.  We get to giggling over such silly stuff.  It’s such fun.Here’s a for instance.  I was driving my 14 year old to her boyfriends house.  She was trying to call him to tell him she was almost there.  She couldn’t get through, his phone was busy.  She started to worry, saying she had told him she would call him before she got there but she thought his mom was on the phone.  She kept trying to dial him.  So, I put my hand to my mouth and called out “Mark.  Mark!”  Then I said, “Now you can tell him you called him.”  She burst out laughing.  She jumped in and started calling him the same way, and even rolled the window down and called out the window.  She laughed about that for 2 days. 

Silly?  You bet!  But also a moment she and I still laugh about.  

A young girl, 16 years old and still in high school, looking at her senior year approaching, has met a very attractive guy.  Tall, dark curly hair, beautiful teeth, kind hearted.  She feels he is her true prince charming.  He shows he is interested in her and cares about her.  What a nice relationship they have made.  Proms are coming up and because they attend different schools, she will be going to his prom and he, to hers.  OK! 

She has met his parents and they are quiet and reserved.  Not much conversation takes place but everything seems good.  Now he must meet her parents.  He comes over to her house and the ice is broken.  No doubt about it, her parents are more outgoing, friendly, more modern, even religious and much more exciting!  After about their 3rd meeting, the girls grandparents come to visit from another state.  The girl is very anxious for her prince charming to come to her home and meet her grandparents so she invites the boy over.  One early evening, in walks the girl with her prince charming.  Introductions are made, a little small talk, lots of smiles and then the girl and boy depart into the dining room.  They are sitting there playing songs (Country Western) on a laptop computer.

The girl’s dad walks in the room and the girl says to her prince charming, “My dad loves the song, ‘I Loved her First’.”.  The dad elaborates a bit and says “Wait, I have the song!” and off he goes to get it.  The girl, using her computer, brings up the song and calls her dad back into the dining room.  Her dad then calls to the grandparents who are in the kitchen, “Come on out here and listen to this song - I just really love this song!”  Into the dining room go the grandparents and also the girl’s mother.  The father is standing beside the dining room table singing in his loudest finest voice “I loved her first…”, sending a message loud and clear to her prince charming! 

After the song ends, the dad leaves the room and comes right back with another song- “Gotta Clean My Gun”.  Whew!  This song is about a father and how he keeps his gun clean and if anything ever happened to his daughter, how he would use it.  Whew!  Now the father starts singing in the dining room once again and REALLY gets into this song, rolling his eyes over to his daughter and to her prince, especially the prince!  He lays it on thick!  He sings again - “I’ve got a gun and I know how to use it.  I really need to clean it and keep it nice and handy.”  Of course, all this done with a happy-go-lucky smiling face.  Grandparents, mom, dad, girl and prince charming are all grinning too.  The song finishes after being played twice and then the girl announces they have to get going and starts to leave.  Prince charming says his goodbyes politely and the father says, “Don’t stay out too late  although it really doesn’t matter much, because I’ll just be sitting right here cleaning my gun and it’ll be REAL clean!” 

In about an hour, the girl comes home.  She walks in and says, “Well that was awkward!”  I understand it to mean she was embarrassed by her father - the songs, the gun - all just too much for her!  Then again, maybe she means it was awkward for her Prince Charming.  Perhaps it could have been awkward for the grandparents and maybe for the mother?  An awkward situation for all?  Indeed!! 

So, we all say goodnight and go to bed.