Teenager Alert!

Kevin turned 13 this weekend. While the milestone has relatively little practical meaning, it has huge psychological meaning. Kevin is already tired of hearing that he has entered early adulthood and that our expectations of him have grown right along with his new teenager status.

From Kevin's perspective there is plenty that will be different. Teenagers, apparently, get to sit in the front seat of the car, even if it is safer to ride in the back. Kevin also informed us that teenagers can attend PG-13 movies without having to ask permission of their parents (although I think he failed to think through exactly how he would get to this movie were it not for a parent).

From his parents' perspective we've watched him tackle the mountains of homework that come along with the 7th grade. For the first time in my parental experience, I regularly come home to a quiet house. While I'm used to stepping out of the sanctuary of my car and into the chaos of home, it now feels like I'm stepping into a library where I get shushed before I've been properly greeted. I'll take this over chaos every day!

For his birthday we spent an afternoon in San Francisco at one of they City's dim sum restaurants and then went over to Sony's Metreon to preview the new PlayStation3, followed by a visit to the Metreon's arcade.

Scottie was in a play that evening, so Kevin invited two friends for a night out on the town. I was instructed to act as both chauffeur and wallet for the evening, but under no circumstances was I allowed to embarrass Kevin. In fact, I was told that it would be better if I simply didn't speak. This took great willpower but I think I generally succeeded but quickly reverted back to my normal embarrassing self the following day.

We went to TGI Fridays. I sat at the bar doing my best to look lonely, while Kevin and his friends sat at a table by themselves.  They ordered what they want under noone's watchful eye and, from what I'm told, even attempted to hit on the waitress.

Then, it was on to a movie (Flushed Away) where the three boys gorged themselves on overpriced snacks. I was chastised later for only giving them $20 to spend on those snacks.

Kevin's big present was a notebook computer. Actually he got a certificate for a computer as we wait for Microsoft's new operating system to become a reality.

And with that we begin the countdown of just a little under six years until we ship him off to college (hopefully).

Greg

November 6, 2006

© Greg Harris, 2006