Friday, August 28, 2009

I'm THAT Mom...

Before Julie, our exchange student, arrived I was quite confident I'd be the cool mom. I mean, the math alone is in my favor. With my own children, I'm 23, 24 and 27 years older than them which likely destines me to uncoolness in their eyes...eventually. But with Julie, being that she's not really mine, I get to be 14 years older, making the generation gap just small enough to keep me cool, right?

Wrong. Turns out, the age difference doesn't matter, when you're a mom, you're a mom. And to add to it...when you're me, you're me. :)

It doesn't matter that she is technically not mine.
It doesn't matter that she is smart, and seventeen years old.
It doesn't matter that she is brave enough to leave her family and country to live with strangers...

I still...
  • ask a million questions.
  • ask around to find out the reputations of her new friends.
  • feel the need to protect her from making any choices she might regret.
  • feel the need to dislike and question the intentions of any and all teenage boys, except for the ones where I personally know their mothers, because for some reason that makes a difference.
  • ask what happened during the day...with the who, what, when, where, why, and how following.
  • tell her not to stay up too late.
One day, I even asked her to change clothes. Yeah...way, way uncool. The benefit to her not being my "real" daughter is that A - she wasn't purposely trying to push the limit and B - she didn't baulk or complain, but simply changed clothes. It may have been harder on me than her, because it sealed the deal: I'm officially THAT mom ;)





23 comments:

  1. Once a mom, always a mom :)

    I'm sure she still thinks you're pretty cool :)

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  2. Way to be THAT mom, Sarah! And you're still cool. Definitely.

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  3. Ha ha ha - I'm not even a mom, and when I asked one of my youth group girls if there was anything about her new boyfriend that I wouldn't approve of... Her answer was that he wears his pants too low (with boxers hanging out). I told her if that's the ONLY thing I would disapprove of, he must be ok. LOL

    I must give off a "mom aura!"

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  4. all of those questions you ask interpret... 'i care about you'. i'm sure down deep, they (will) appreciate it. ;)

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  5. sounds to me like being that mom means you are caring and supportive and loving. Who wouldn't want THAT mom for a mom? Keep it up girlie!

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  6. You may be looking into your future. I found having teenagers to be a lot of fun, but it does have it's attending worries, to be sure. Way to watch over her!

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  7. THAT moms unite!! I love it!!! And, as a mother of a teenage boy, I appreciate that you asked her to change her clothes and that you are concerned about the people she hangs out with...helps to make out jobs easier!! ;)

    Keep up the good work!!

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  8. sounds like a typical day in the life of me... Only I get eye rolling. ;)

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  9. it doesn't matter if they are yours or not....raising teenagers is challenging, fun, exhausting, crazy, spontaneous and in the end something you wouldn't exchange for the world!!!

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  10. I always want one of THOSE moms. And hopefully, I will be one myself give or take 5 years!

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  11. Julie is such a beautiful girl, I'm sure the boys absolutely drool when she walks down the hallway. I would be protective too :)

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  12. Sometimes it's just not fun being a mom, but I wouldn't trade the job for anything! And I bet you wouldn't either.

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  13. I would say that in Julie's Mother's eyes you are WAY COOL! I am pretty certain that even Julie thinks you are Cool too even if she doesn't say it.

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  14. good for you! This world needs way more of "THAT" moms!
    And, she'll come out of it knowing that you're cool :)

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  15. If you didn't get any stomping or huffing and puffing, then you are still way cool!

    Keep it up - they will all push the boundries if you don't hold your ground :}

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  16. :) Oh that would be me.....completely! :)

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  17. haha! Visions of our own mothers is popping in my head!

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  18. A Mom's gotta do what a Mom's gotta do...and THAT'S brave...and TRUE love. :) I admire that...being a Mama of a girl myself, I envision that someday, I'll be having the "what not to wear" talk, too...and it's a beautiful gift to the world (and to our God) when you're brave enough to be THAT mom. ;)

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  19. THAT mom is a great mom!! You will still be cool, don't worry!

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  20. keep being "that mom" she'll love you for it!

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  21. You are THAT mom! The mom who cares enough to risk not being the best buddy. That's a good thing, even if you are only a temp mom for her.
    The first time I saw my sons look at each other & roll their eyes about me....it was awful! But that's just the way it goes in the circle of life.

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