Mama Rika says: I Love My Teen, My Other Teen, My Other Teen, and My Other Teen,

Yep, count 'em. It's FOUR. I do indeed have four teenagers. It seems that sometimes teenagers get a bad rap simply because they are teens. Certainly teenagers have their problems, but who doesn’t? At least they don’t ask to crawl in bed with you because they had a bad dream and then proceed to kick you in the back all night and steal your covers in return for the kindness you shared with them.

So, here’s a little shout-out for teens. Teens are cool. And just how cool are they?

Teenagers are fun because they can talk to you about things that are interesting instead of just cute & funny. They sometimes have surprising insight into a variety of topics, including politics, science, friendship, honor, etc. Here's one of my teens studying. (Pardon the heavily decorated fridge in the background.)



Occasionally you can really look up to your teens. Literally I have to do this with 3 of the four. In the picture below, I should have stood on a stool because you can kind of tell it is somewhat of a view from below.

But seriously, seeing what teenagers have to deal with in everyday life sometime and watching how they handle it can be an amazing thing. I have seen my kids stand up for what they believe, be modest, friendly to all around them and other things that aren’t always easy.
Can you believe how creative teens can be? A couple of weekends ago two of my teens went on a group date that they had planned. The created a scavenger hunt of unusual items to find at the mall and nearby department store. Each team had to take pictures of the items and then report back. Each picture was given extra points for creativity. So, for instance, when one of the items to find was a bar code, one team took the picture of the back of the neck of a person that had a bar code tattoo and were awarded extra creativity points. They also had to find a person named Mike and many other items. (Click here for a list of cheap and or free date ideas)

It is fun to watch each ones developing sense of style. While it can be maddening when your eye shadow is never where you left it, it is also fun to remember your own teenage years when you had to get your make-up just so. (Just so you know, my boys have never borrowed my make-up. They wouldn’t want you thinking so. ;) )

And, your own teens have a hard time thinking that their own parents did fun and silly teenage types of things like this college freshman…


(The message on the sauce packet reads “Space for rent…inquire within.”) Plus, when they do silly things like that, they never anticipate that it might wind up on Mom’s blog. :) (I expect a “Sheesh, Mom!” comment for posting that one.)

When they get all dressed up to go to a fancy dance or out on a fun date, it is so fun to quiz them before they go and when they get home. Who did you see? What did you do? Do you think you want to go out with him/her again? What was the funniest thing that happened? What was the best song they played? Who drove? What did you like about the movie? It may be a little tough getting info, but it is so fun when they do decide to tell you some of their stories! It is a great reminder to have fun!!


Did you know that when teenaged boys are really, extra hungry, they can be fairly easily coerced into helping put the finishing touches on dinner? It is really cool how that works.

So, yeah, btw, it is like so cool (or should I say “tight” or “sweet” here?) to have teens around. lol

TTFN (Tigger says, “Ta ta for now.”)

Oh, and no, the kids are not pictured in age order. Maybe you can guess. Maybe not. :)