Which is why, when Ocean was showing me the new outfit that her Nana just bought for her, and I saw the pants which had cutouts from the ankle up to mid-thigh... and I almost choked, turned to my Mom and said "Are those open? Can you see her skin??" "No" Mom assured me "you could if they were tight but they're not at all." (And if I'd told her that I'd seen a pair of those before, on a girl in my class who my Mom refused to ever let me hang out with she might have thought differently)... I took it well when Ocean said "I'm so wearing them to school" and then punctuated it with a lilting "Deal with it" as she walked away. Funny thing. My Mom would have screeched and grounded me on the spot for that kind of remark. However, from her only grand-daughter (and directed at me rather than her) my Mom laughed. I have every intention of making those things disappear before school starts. Deal with that.
My mind was made up and everything was harmonious once more and the kids played until bed time. Ocean met me in the hallway stating that she was off to bed - it was 8:45. We talked for a few minutes and the phone rang - it was 9:00. "That's (my friend)" she said "and Boom - I'm right." Okay I turned to leave and was headed back to the computer when she called me. "Mom, remember when you said (my friend) might be able to stay over tonight? Well can she?" "Ocean, it's nine o\clock at night" I said "and your Dad will be here in the morning to pick you up - make a plan for Sunday." She complained a little. "Sunday" I said firmly, "make a plan." And I closed the door.
Within a few minutes I got a text from her. "Thanks Mom, now she hates me." By this time, my completely relaxed attitude was beginning to erode; fast. "I doubt she hates you because I told you to make a plan. Why didn't we talk about this earlier today?" (I'd forgotten that she'd told me only minutes earlier that she was going to bed) "You said tomorrow or Sunday... I said tomorrow" She was right, I had said exactly that. Patience waning. I wrote back "Then if it was already a plan, you wouldn't have had to ask but you did, so it wasn't. Sunday or Monday, those are your options honey." (Kind of reminds you of "deal with it"?) "Whatever" was her reply. Deep breath.Ethan showed up shortly after complaining that Ocean knew where his iPod was and told him it would cost five dollars to get her to tell him. Patience? What the hell is that??? I roar into the kitchen and grumpily reiterate what Ethan had told me and Ocean stares at me... then looks at Aaron... then the table... "Oh," she says smacking her hand against her forehead "I totally blanked; what was the question?" She's laughing, Aaron and Ethan are laughing and I've got a stupid smirk on my face. And that was that. My sweet, wonderful pre-teen daughter is relatively harmless... for now.
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