Wow- Such much to talk about here, lol. I think this is a good discussion since we sometimes wonder if we are the only ones going through the same thing.
My DD16 Junior is really into doing stuff with us as a family and until December of her Sophmore year would almost exlusively want to spend Friday and Saturday nights with us instead of her friends, except for the occasional movie and event. It wasn't until last December that she became really close to her "group" of friends both boys and girls. She really only has 1 best friend and lots of "friends" but most she thinks are really shallow and not "real" friends. She actually gets along better with boys and has more boy's who are "best type friends" than girls. She also has another Best Friend that moved to another school a little ways away. They still do stuff together once in a while. She got a boy friend last spring and they were inseperable this summer. She broke-up with him after school started this year. I'll explain more on that later, lol.
We have been going to Disney almost yearly (except this summer because DH was in Afghanistan and the year of and year after my son's birth) since she was 2 (first trip was to
Disneyland). Both of my kids LOVE Disney and my daughter still values our family trips to Disney and anywhere we go.
Another thing that I think has made a huge impact on her enjoying doing stuff with us is that since she was infant, we have done what we call Family Nights on Friday and Saturday nights. Air Mattress, movies, popcorn, even dinner (pizza, chinese, etc.). Both of my kids still love these nights.
Dances- DD used to go to more than she does now. Most she goes as a group, but she went to the Junior Prom last year with one of the boy's from her "best friend group". He liked her, but she told him in no uncertain terms that they were JUST friends. She didn't go to homecoming this year. I think the fact that her best friend has a boy friend, she doesn't like going as a third wheel and I don't think she will ever go as a date with someone she doesn't like again. She loves buying dresses for these events though. I've spent plenty on dresses the past few years including an up-do and manicure/pedicure at the salon.
These days, she hasn't been doing as much with her friends because on Friday nights they cheer at the football games. Cheer takes up much of her time. She is on both the regular football cheer squad as well as the competition team. She practices Monday nights, Tuesday afternoon, group gymnastics on Tuesday nights, and practice again on Thursday night. Sometimes they add a practice on Wednesday nights. Then there is a game every Friday night. They also do lots of things on the weekends, like the halloween parade, funraisers for them as well as others, etc. It keeps her very busy. Last year they went to Myrtle Beach for their National Championship and I believe this year they are going to go to the ESPN one at Disney.
We have been looking at colleges this year. Look what you have to look forward too, lol! This was a scary daunting task at first, but it turned out really good and she has already narrowed down her choices and has decided to go to University of Missouri for their Journalism program. Luckily its the kind of school where going there is in her hands not theirs. As long as she gets the right score's on the ACT or SAT she gets to go. We even signed her up for her first ACT test in December.
Driving - haha just wait!! She turned 16 in March, but didn't get her license until July because we had to get a replacement Social Security card. Then hubby left for Afghanistan and left me to teach her, lol. She got scared and didn't want to drive for a while after almost hitting the mailbox at her boyfriends house. Then in September she started driving again. She wanted to drive all the time. Then the Thursday night before my husband came home, she hit a parked car when we were leaving cheer practice. That was a $500 dectible mistake, lol. So she hasn't driven as much since then because she was a little afraid again and its dark so much earlier now. After she got in the fender bender, I want her to wait to drive in the dark till I know she can handle it better.
Her boyfriend did nothing but what she wanted. She would ask him what he wanted to do, see or eat and he was always saying - It doesn't matter -whatever you want. I think she didn't like that he wouldn't voice his opinion. She broke up with him about a month ago.
She is taking Honors Chemistry this year. She really should not have taken honors- but all of her classes have always been honors so it wasn't questioned. She has struggled in this class this year. She had a 83% one day, and then two weeks later I got a call from the teacher she had a 59%. WHAT???????? Somehow she bombed her test, and not done good on two small quizes and bam - her grade dropped like that. Apparently she started to feel lost and instead of coming to me to help her, she started to just act like it didn't exist. She was having a hard time learning the Ion charges until I came in and helped her. Now she knows them all, and I sure wish she would have come to me sooner. She has done two labs, and made up a few tests she missed. She also just had a test on Monday. I'm just hoping she can pull up to at least a C by mid-term. Then she has the whole second half to bring up the final grade to at least a B by the end of the semester when it goes on her transcript. Kids - how does this happen in two weeks? I was floored.
I do not feel even slightly comfortable with this. I am going out of my way to encourage DD to hang out with her 13 y/o girlfriends; offering to take them pretty much anywhere so I will be the one that drives!
