Hi, Mephisto!!! Did you give out lots of candy treats last night? What kind? I was so disappointed that my daughter ate all the Dots in her goodie bag, leaving only the empty boxes to torture me for a moment, since they are my favorites. Boy, is it easy to get tired of tiny Snickers bars pretty quickly!!
She went trick-or-treating in Pacific Heights, where some of the REALLY rich people live. The family that now owns the Ghiradelli chocolate company was giving out multiple big Ghiradelli bars to all the children who stopped by their house. I know everyone from out of town who comes to visit us wants to visit Ghiradelli Square and the chocolate shop and ice cream fountain there more than anything else, and I hope she will share with me because their chocolate is wonderful.
One very nice family gave out beautiful, hand-painted carved wooden animal bookmarks and toothbrushes. What I always hated was to get fruit!!! Unless it was a caramel apple, of course, and when I was a child they were pretty common. Not now, though!!
I think it is harder for fathers to accept that their daughters are ready to start dating than it is for mothers. Dads are very protective, and they are genetically programmed to protect their lineage from sperm pollution by immature young twits!!! I will be excited when my daughter starts going out with boys, but she is only in eighth grade.
Isn't sixteen a better age to actually start going out alone? In San Francisco, the kids in academic high schools, who are all going on to college, tend to hang out in big groups, and go to movies and other events with lots of other people. Individual dating, and groping in the back of cars, doesn't seem to happen so much, perhaps because they have all had so much sex education and have decided not to put themselves into difficult situations. The kids who are not going to college seem to become sexually active earlier, as they are beginning to look for mates and to settle down and have children within a few years. At least that is the way it is here. It may be totally different in other parts of the country.
I am not too worried about Briana because she has taken an extensive self-defense class for girls, and says proudly that she knows how to kill a guy five ways without using any weapons!!! She also knows that if she gets into any kind of trouble at all, she can talk to us openly, and that we will always help her. She also knows that if she ever feels at risk in any way, for example if there are drugs or alcohol at a party, or the person who was going to give her a ride home has been drinking, we will always come pick her up. I think a lot of successful parenting of teenagers is just keeping the lines of communication open, and maintaining trust that was built up on both sides in childhood.
I was very proud of her when I found out that she had waited outside for her friends at a mall, while they shoplifted!!! I could not believe they did that, since they are all nice, very bright girls from good families, and have plenty of spending money, but I would guess it was for the thrill. I think it is very stupid behavior, and was happy that my child did not succumb to peer pressure.
Briana's actual birthday party is not until next Saturday. Talk about the Old Fogies thread, I think I am turning into one now!!! I was off by a whole week, but at least I have more time to get things ready.
Hey, what did you think about the published reports that Jackie Onassis and Frank Sinatra had a one-night stand? This didn't surprise me at all. Wasn't he linked romantically to Nancy Reagan as well? |
