Lovey-dovey day

Perhaps it's due to an overload of the soft rock that's been playing (randomly, not intentionally) on my ipod all day, but I'm feeling rather romantic today. Don't get me wrong, I will never be one to wax poetic about the endless wonders of true love and soul mates and all of that nonsense. I'm a tad more practical. However, I do feel a great deal of appreciation for my husband today.

Gary and I have been on a joint staycation this week with the kiddos, and it's been fabulous. Every single lazy, tv-rerun, cereal-for-dinner moment has been utterly wonderful. Prior to our time off I was a little concerned that spending so much time together without a break would cause some bickering. I'm not so naive to think married couples actually enjoy being together 24/7 all the time, but imagine my surprise in discovering it is possible in small increments - say, a week once a year.

The only argument - albiet a small one - to take place occurred over my vertically-blessed man grabbing the wrong baking dish out of the cabinet. The nerve of him. I fussed, he stomped angrily to the bedroom. Two minutes later we were laughing at his dramatic exit. (He's never been one to argue, which is a good thing, although sometimes I wish he would get a little angry once in a while. It can be frustrating to want to have a yelling match and your opponent refuses to join in.)

We're coming up on our three-year anniversary. Doesn't seem like we've been married that long, but at the same time I feel like I've had the urge to strangle him at least a hundred times. (Don't pretend to be shocked, all of you married people understand me completely.) Yet as painstakingly annoying as he can be sometimes, he is still the kindest, most honest, gentle, trustworthy and loving man I've ever met. He still opens doors for me, holds my hand in the car and in public, does little acts of love to remind me that he loves me. Sweetness in one of its best forms.

As far as child duty goes, Gary is above par. He's great with the feeding, bathing, story-time, play time, etc. The only area he's difficult with is diaper changing time. His argument: weak stomach. Wuss. Still, he's an all-around good dad, who is sweet enough to entertain the girls while Mommy tries to focus long enough to write blogs...

Ah, young love

It wasn't all that long ago that I was a teenager. Some parts of those years I can remember as clearly as if they happened yesterday; passing notes between classes, having ridiculous crushes on upperclassmen, football games, dances, four-hour phone conversations (on home phones because back then no one had cell phones). Other parts, though, are like this distant hazy memory that I can only grasp pieces of. I remember having relationships with boys, but not the way they seem to happen today.

Today's teen romances are like soap operas. I like you, I love you, I hate you, I love him, I love you both, I hate him, I'm sorry, I love you, I don't know if I love you, on and on and on. All withing one week, no less. (If you think I'm being dramatic, obviously you have no teenagers in your immediate family.)

Although that part of my younger life is a tad fuzzy, I do remember myself and my peers having relationships for at least three or four months at a time. Nowadays these kids play musical boyfriend, breaking up and finding new "love" within a matter of days. That's another aspect of today's youth that frustrates me. They date someone for two days and suddenly they're in love. They've found their soul mate. Are you kidding me? As someone who's always around teenagers, I often get asked for advice on relationships. I want to shake them and say, "You have no idea what love is! It takes more than a week to fall in love with someone, because you can't possibly know someone well enough to love them in seven days." And for the love of God, can we PLEASE stop having sex at fourteen and fifteen? It's like this generation is a whole new 60s hippie phase, just on a much more irresponsible level.

Another idea that is so hard for teens to grasp is that they will change in coming years. To tell a young adult that the person they'll be in five years will be so much different than the person they are today is like talking to a brick wall. I know it's a hard concept to grasp, but it's so true. Interests change, horizons are broadened. These kids meet someone in high school and think they'll be compatible forever. Granted, it is possible. I have a handful of friends who started dating in high school and are still together to this day. It's very rare though.

I guess I worry so much about the youth of today now because in twelve years I'll have two teenage daughters. The idea is terrifying. I shudder to think of teenage romance involving my baby girls. I guess I could always send them to an all-girls boarding school....