Wow... Three years since my last post?

A lot has happened... We've been to Spain and Costa Rica, among other places. I got older and slightly fatter. We had a car accident here or there. But mostly, my kids have grown up.

What I've discovered is that there's a lot my parents didn't pass along regarding parenting teenagers. Especially mobile teenagers. When I would approach my dad with plans for Friday night that didn't quite pass the sniff test, he'd say "That doesn't sound like a great idea." 

What he neglected to tell me is that NONE of it sounds like a good idea.

Teenage drivers going to the drive-in (!)... Black teenage son...  Bad parts of town... Blond teenage girls... Late night drive home...Ten people shoved in the car... 

But I try to make decisions that let Grant live his life and enjoy these years while still providing a modicum of safety as his guardian. As I make these parenting decisions, I know I jacked up by the amount of excitement he displays when I agree to his plans. In this particular case, I got a "YESSSSS!!!!" accompanied by a fist pump and him running like he was shot out of a cannon to report back to his friends.

In that moment, I knew I'd blown the parenting call.

But hopefully by 16, we've laid the groundwork and he has the good sense to stay safe. But like I remember my own parents saying, it's not him I worry about. It's the rest of humanity. Stay safe, y'all.