As a mom to a 16 year old daughter, and 15 and 12 year old sons, life is fast and furious because they have things to do.  A lot of them.

Because it's summer, I was under some kind of misguided notion life would flow at a simpler, calmer pace, and we'd sip lemonade while fanning ourselves on our front porch, rockin' and talkin' at the speed of snail.

I guess I was notioning in 1965.

Instead, we've been on the go just as much as ever, and when we (as a family) haven't been on the road, my kids have.  We've even experienced The Empty (and very quiet) Nest not once, but twice. 

When they're home, it feels like our back door is revolving.  Friends don't seem to arrive solo, they travel in packs; it hasn't been uncommon to have four extra teens in the house at a time. 

They can be loud.

And messy.

They're nocturnal.

And they like to eat.  A lot.

If the world revolved around me, I'd say it wasn't very convenient.

But here's the thing:  they're here.  This is where they want to be.  As long as they're here, they aren't somewhere else doin' something that would curl my toenails.  

My heart is in perpetual shatter over what's easily accessible to teenagers today, what's expected or permitted or encouraged, and the destructive choices they can make; the choices some of our own friends' children have made.  And not for a second am I saying my kids are above that, that they won't one day make decisions that hurl me into a pit…but for now…for today…they choose to be here.

Whoa, Nellie!  This is not the post I intended to write when I jotted that title up there {smiles}!  I just wanted to show you some pictures ~ the difference between Mars and Venus:

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Take two girls, five jars of face paint, an ancient "How To" book from a Chick-Fil-A kids meal, and voilà, I've got circus freaks in the house.  I think they're a distant relative of Ted Murphy, the brains (and tongue!) behind Izea and so much more!

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The boys in the band…they're serious about their craft.  At Christmas time, we were NEVER going to allow drums in our house.  Apparently "never" is about six months.  They're still searching for their band name, suggestions welcome in comments {Blink 182 is their inspiration and they're punk in their dreams.  Is "loud" a genre??"}

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