Boys [epithet]

Several weeks ago --

Ashley: So I can date boys now?
Me: Yes? Well you can double date.
Ashley: I just wanted to make sure that it was ok and that I wouldn't get in trouble.
Me: It's fine to date. I mean the boy has to come to the door and we get to meet him. He can't just sit in the car and honk or something.
Ashley: I knew there was something!!! [stomps off]
Me: ???

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On the Friday before Valentine's Day I got an hysterical phone call from Celeste about a boy she knows from school. Apparently they'd been talking and facebooking and he'd sent her a Valentine at school with "I love you" written all over it. And then later that night while they were talking online he admitted that he "loved" her. So, she had to call me and squeal in my ear about him and how cool it was.

Of course, this was only the beginning. Then he wanted her to come to his house to "hang out" with him and some friends. I mentioned this request to Travis who said no way, that he knows what usually happens. ??? No, I didn't ask him to explain how he knows. Anyway, we told Celeste that he could come to OUR house if she also invited over some other friends. Which she did. And that meant that I had to go shopping for good junk food and videos. Everyone was over for a couple of hours and then all the friends left but the boy was still here. So, I sent Emma down to go and check on them (they were in the family room). She came back up saying they were watching a movie. I sent her back down and told her to tell Celeste that either Emma stays in the room or they come upstairs. Emma didn't come back upstairs. A little bit later I went downstairs to do some laundry and noticed that the light was off. I called to Celeste to come talk to me and let her know that the light stayed on (I don't think she meant anything by it, Travis always insists on turning off all the lights when we watch a movie as a family). Occasionally I peeked at them or sent Hannah to check on them for me. Eventually he went home. Then I had a talk with Celeste about lights staying on, staying vertical, and no sharing blankets.

Predictably, that get together led to a request for another get together. He is practicing ice skating to try out for hockey and wanted Celeste to come with him. Neither Travis and I were totally comfortable with this, and couldn't decided whether it was a good idea or not. So we told Celeste to call Grandma and Grandpa and ask them and that whatever they decided was good. Apparently mom and dad didn't like being asked to decide. After much discussion we agreed that if they went in the afternoon, and Celeste brought several girlfriends with her, and if I drove Celeste there and back it was ok.

For future reference we came to the conclusion that doing things together every weekend was out, that they couldn't go to the movies, and that they couldn't do stuff in the evenings.

Anyway, that was the last outing because a couple of weeks later they broke up (even though they were never "going out", just very friendly friends -- since they agreed that going out is stupid in junior high).

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This morning:

I am awakened to Travis telling me that there is a boy alone in the family room with Ashley and that I need to go and see who he is and what's going on.

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This evening:

I find Celeste wandering the upstairs with all the lights turned out and on the phone with a new boy.








I'm not sure I'm up for this.