As of about 11:30 am today, I am the mother of a teen-ager.

Holy crap.

Does this mean my life is about to disintegrate into slamming bedroom doors, yelling matches about clothes, hair, boyfriends, friends, music, social engagements…etc?

I was fortunate. My mother and I always had (and still do) a great relationship based on mutual respect and friendship. Yeah, she played The Mother Card often enough, but that was only when she had to. We had our fights, but I was never a teen who’d complain about my mom to my friends. Nor was my mother always trying to marry me off or tell me how to live my life.

Because of that, I’ve tried to model my relationship with Mini Me after the one I had with my mom. And Mini Me has even said that she doesn’t think we’ll have that yelling, screaming, “you-don’t-know-anything-because-you’re-not-a-teen-ager” relationship that lots of mothers and daughters have. We’ve even talked about it.

So, no, I don’t expect my life to descend into that sort of world. I consider myself very lucky on both sides of my parental relationship (as daughter and as mother).

I do have more things to worry about with my daughter than my mother did when I reached 13 (or even 16 or 18)…but we’ll just take it one step at a time.

So tell me. What was your teen-aged relationship like with your mom? Did you get along (mostly) or hate each other?

I hereby solemnly swear to try and get back to regular blog posts now that the kids are back to school and I have something resembling a schedule.

I hope everyone (ie, my regular readers–hi! Are you still out there?) have had a great summer. I’ve been flirting around, playing the field with some new projects, as well as gearing up for my new series (coming in January under a pen name). More on all that as news becomes available.

In the mean time, I’m too lazy to write a long detailed post…but Joss Ware is over at the Pop Culture Divas today, talking about something near and dear to my heart: back to school. Why not stop over and say hi?

And tell me, what are you planning to do now that school’s back in session? Is it a new beginning for you, or just a same old, same old?

You?

…for how to amuse PirateBoy and ScoobyGirl today so I can get some work done. Serious work needs to get done today, and they are home on spring break.

I cannot write at home, let alone when the kids are here. So I am cooked. Like a Christmas goose.

MiniMe is babysitting for someone else *sob* so I can’t use her.

Did I mention that the big-screen TV got soaked and shorted out from a pipe leak yesterday? Oh, the news just gets better and better.

Any ideas are much appreciated. Lay’em on me.

PB is almost 11, and SG is almost 8.

I’m accompanying the fifth grade to a church in Detroit that was a station on the Underground Railroad. Very excited about it. I think it sounds like the coolest field trip (which is why I volunteered to go when I’m on deadline).

Other than our annual visits to Greenfield Village, I think this sounds like the best day-trip ever.

Your favorite field trip?

PS Have you see this? OMG. *dies laughing*