Story of the Scary Poisonous Creature with Enormous Teeth

Living with Teens can occasionally be amusing. And it's always entertaining. For example, take a recent experience.

We’re driving down the road with Happy, Smiley (Happy’s friend) and Sneezy in the back seat of our truck, when out of the blue, terrified screaming from behind us nearly causes my husband to swerve into another lane (yes, there was a car there).

Them: screaming and squealing like girls

Me: What? Is it a Spider?

Happy: No, it's a...a...slug and it's COMING CLOSER! *squeals again*

Husband: How did a slug get in my truck?

Sneezy: That's not a slug, it's a long furry thing with HUGE TEETH.

Smiley: Maybe it’s a snail.

Me: Whatever it is, it doesn't have teeth, I promise.

Happy: Stop the truck, stop the truck, STOP THE TRUCK! *practically climbs into sister’s lap*

Husband (after pulling over and dispatching the creature): Um, that’s not a slug or a snail. it's just a caterpillar. I set it free.

Smiley: You think that was scary, you should see when they turn into butterflies.

If you’ve read anything I’ve written about Happy and Sneezy, you know that they aren’t afraid of much. For girls, they’re pretty dang tough, sports-minded, and completely athletic. But when it comes right down to it, they’re still girls. As evident from the above story, not just in their love of clothes, shoes, and jewelry. Proof positive that people are truly complex.

And that, my friends, is why I write young adult literature, and also why I prefer to read it.

Change It? No Thanks.

Change? No Thanks.

Sometimes I think the world is an exhausting place to be. I hear myself vent or complain about my teenagers and how they know just how to schedule out my time to their liking, and how tiring it is to be the parent. How I don’t know when I can possibly fit one more thing into my daily life.

But then, I think back to my teenage years. And I remember.

Being a teenager is exhausting too.

And painful.

And huge. So huge.

Whether they understand it or not, my teens are at the baseline of life, where they make some of their most crucial decisions, learn some of their hardest lessons, and where they become the people they will be as adults.

And even though I have three teens, an almost-teen, a crazy-busy husband, and my own life, I realize that there will never be a time more confusing and full of angst, than the one my kids are currently experiencing.

The ups. Are high.

The downs. Are low.

The disappointments devastating. And at the same time freeing.

There are certain things that I—the mother—can make better. But there are others—will always be others—that I cannot. Would I keep it from them? Some days, I wish I could. But then I look at who they are now, and how they got here, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Even on the days when I’m exhausted. After all, that’s what naps are for.