There is a Grumblethumpkin at the end of the hall
It resides just on the other side of the wall
It lurks there behind the door that is closed
I fear if I knock I will be de-nosed
Once upon a time
How her smile did shine
But now she is indisposed
Samantha has been with us since November. Wait, let me back up. Sam made her apology (difficult as it was) back in June, on the day after she graduated from High School. We went from a text once in a while to a couple phone calls in the summer/fall, to a two week visit in November that stretched out for three months. It's been an interesting time.
Sam is stuck in neutral. She's unsure if she going to engage with college, part time jobs, or (shudder) something less. She is clearly not living up to her potential and needs to decide if she just wants to set a low bar and achieve mediocrity or emerge from the fog of adolescence and seize something great.
She doesn't seem to be frustrated by it. The rest of us are.
Sam spends most of her time buried under blankets in her room, door closed, binge watching Friends, Bones, and other mindless TV candy that does nothing to challenge her. Of course, if no one is home she emerges to eat bowls of cereal, play Xbox; an entire campaign game in a month, and clean her body at least once a week. This is a "Gap Year" she claims. I'm sure that the definiation of a Gap Year is something other than lethargy.
While she is less surly than in the past she is full of advice on how we should raise the boys. <insert eye roll here> She has an incredibly high opinion of her average accomplishments and has such a thin skin that it is impossible to talk to her about what she's going to do next and her plan to get there. Although, her ideas have been entertaining. Two-year college in Boston, join the Army, go to Culinary School, become a high cost Escort (not kidding), and becoming a personal cook to families in our neighborhood have all been floated. And then, last night, she told me she wanted to change her name to "Alex" because she likes it better.
Lisa and I have had to have thick skin to listen to Sam's unfiltered verbal assaults; watch this show NOW (to me), you used to be fun (to Lisa), punish the boys more (to us), cheat on games and in life (to the boys), mental and verbal abuse (towards her mom). I hope this is a stage. I hope. I hope. I wish mom and dad were alive to give me an idea of how Andy and I were at this age - from their perspective.
To be fair, she's not entirely miserable to deal with. She has all the normal teenage issues; waiting to the last minute to complete her chores, an incredible ability to spend other peoples money but little desire to earn her own, etcetera, but she can be pleasant in the process. But the apathy is aggravating.
I would hate to be stuck like this. I can't imagine a time when I was ever like she is now. I even when I was out of work I moved forward in any way I could. Therefore, I am frustrated for her. Frustration by proxy.
It resides just on the other side of the wall
It lurks there behind the door that is closed
I fear if I knock I will be de-nosed
Once upon a time
How her smile did shine
But now she is indisposed
Samantha has been with us since November. Wait, let me back up. Sam made her apology (difficult as it was) back in June, on the day after she graduated from High School. We went from a text once in a while to a couple phone calls in the summer/fall, to a two week visit in November that stretched out for three months. It's been an interesting time.
Sam is stuck in neutral. She's unsure if she going to engage with college, part time jobs, or (shudder) something less. She is clearly not living up to her potential and needs to decide if she just wants to set a low bar and achieve mediocrity or emerge from the fog of adolescence and seize something great.
She doesn't seem to be frustrated by it. The rest of us are.
Sam spends most of her time buried under blankets in her room, door closed, binge watching Friends, Bones, and other mindless TV candy that does nothing to challenge her. Of course, if no one is home she emerges to eat bowls of cereal, play Xbox; an entire campaign game in a month, and clean her body at least once a week. This is a "Gap Year" she claims. I'm sure that the definiation of a Gap Year is something other than lethargy.
While she is less surly than in the past she is full of advice on how we should raise the boys. <insert eye roll here> She has an incredibly high opinion of her average accomplishments and has such a thin skin that it is impossible to talk to her about what she's going to do next and her plan to get there. Although, her ideas have been entertaining. Two-year college in Boston, join the Army, go to Culinary School, become a high cost Escort (not kidding), and becoming a personal cook to families in our neighborhood have all been floated. And then, last night, she told me she wanted to change her name to "Alex" because she likes it better.
Lisa and I have had to have thick skin to listen to Sam's unfiltered verbal assaults; watch this show NOW (to me), you used to be fun (to Lisa), punish the boys more (to us), cheat on games and in life (to the boys), mental and verbal abuse (towards her mom). I hope this is a stage. I hope. I hope. I wish mom and dad were alive to give me an idea of how Andy and I were at this age - from their perspective.
To be fair, she's not entirely miserable to deal with. She has all the normal teenage issues; waiting to the last minute to complete her chores, an incredible ability to spend other peoples money but little desire to earn her own, etcetera, but she can be pleasant in the process. But the apathy is aggravating.
I would hate to be stuck like this. I can't imagine a time when I was ever like she is now. I even when I was out of work I moved forward in any way I could. Therefore, I am frustrated for her. Frustration by proxy.
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