Niner Niner Niner

This past Wednesday, 9-9-9, was an awesome date! I had planned on throwing a party, but it was the middle of the week and a school night. Instead I did 9 minutes of many different things. I slept in for 9 minutes and hit my snooze 9 times. I worked out for 9 minutes, cleaned my house for 9, weeded for 9, Facebooked for 9 minutes, emailed for 9 minutes, researched for 9 and a few more things on the computer for 9 minutes each, which really didn't seem like 81 minutes on the computer. Since I normally go from one thing to the other anyway I probably spent twice as much time doing what I normally do and felt like I had a very productive day! Whew!

With that said, let me touch base on my Bigfoot to Glass Slipper news... Today we finally received our 45 gallon recycle container--one step closer to reducing our Carbon footprint! It was great to load all the plastics and aluminum stuff I had been storing on my pantry floor for a few days into our new container. It is now full and I have 13 days until the curbside collection comes. HMMMMMM! I wonder if they have 200 gallon recycle containers? CLEARLY...They should probably be paying me! I know..I know..we should be using less.

I just have to write about how my daughter--a senior in high school--got asked to homecoming and we were so excited for her. Until, the issue of the dress came up! Clearly...they should all just wear uniforms--you know, in the school colors--because this would clear up a hole range of issues in regards to fashion, modesty and cost!

As parents, we automatically thought she would wear one of her older sisters dresses--apparently this is a fashionista faux pas. So, my darling daughter went to a friends and brought home a dress, put it on and my mouth dropped open--for only a moment--before I began to verbally scandalize the dress. I do not expect her to dress like an Amish person, but was very surprised by her choice. Only the day before she had been telling me how she wanted to cover her back, shoulders and...cleavage. She went up to her room very upset.

The next day she was heard telling her friend how her parents should not be making her decisions for how to dress for this most important of dances--by the way--she is going with a very nice, highly respectable young man, who is very popular at the school.

When I heard what she had told her friend, I took a deep breath and decided to approach things on a different level. After discussing my decision with my husband we took our daughter aside and told her we would let her make the decision about the dress and that we hoped she would remember the standards she has, in the past, set for herself. She instantly was upset, saying that we would still impose harsh circumstances if she didn't do what we wanted. Of course I wanted to take her cell phone and car away, but bottom line, we wanted her to make the decision for herself. We did tell her that the curfew would CLEARLY not be 1:00 am or 2:00am, but probably a respectable 11:30 pm or midnight no matter what!

I am happy to say that--on her own--she told us last night that she wanted to be an example to her friends and to feel good about the standards she already held for herself. That she wanted to not feel uncomfortable at the dance. Then she put on a dress she had borrowed from her cousin. It was so beautiful and made our already pretty daughter sparkle! I am so excited for her. She had thought she would be so grown up wearing the revealing dress, but instead made a very grown up decision, in a world where modesty is looked down upon and we are very proud of her--but her curfew will still not be 1:00am!

I am now hearing my sensei speaking in my head..."Wise parents counsel wisely!" Whatever! Parenting teenagers kicks my butt everytime karate man!