Tuesday coffee

Good afternoon. Anytime is a good time for coffee right ? If we really met for coffee I would expect you to gush about my lovely new space on the web !! Thanks to the talented Heather !! Check her out at life made lovely. I am so excited to have a pretty new place on the web to be real. I have a photography business and I ADORE blogging at laurenjean photography. But I really wanted a place  could share my heart at. Not that I can separate my heart from my art. But over here at Snot on my wedding dress I want to talk about ALL the things I am passionate about. Like my faith. my kids, my marriage, making a blended family work. Of course I will post lots of pictures too.

But now lets have some coffee.

 If we were having coffee I would tell you that I am REALLY frustrated with my almost 11 year old daughter recently. My mom always said you trade in one set of issues for another when it comes to raising kids. I think I am understanding that more and more. I want to be supportive of her and this time in her life. I know she is growing, changing, starting to become the person God has intended her to be. I know that's hard. I remember. I remember how BIG each and every problem I had was. I remember feeling like my mom never understood me. Like my friends were my family because they "got me".

But I want to be the one who "gets" her. But at the same time I know I can't be her friend and then her parent in this season. I have to be the parent first. The mean mom who makes her do her chores. The uncool mom who sets bedtimes in the summer and won't let her have a cell phone. The mom who only allows her one soda a day will not tolerate door slamming and back talk. Even if " every one else acts like this".

No sir. That will not be me.

But its hard. And it leads to frustrating words being said, and people feeling yucky.

So today at coffee you would see me at my desk working while Myka is at preschool. With my coffee sitting on top of the apology letter she wrote to me last night. It says I am sorry for being a brat. Her handwriting is normally much neater. I know she scribbled this in a desperate attempt to earn her privileges back.

But I am keeping it.
As a reminder, that one day she will be my best friend.
and I'm sorry notes will not be necessary.
And despite the hard stuff, having a daughter who is becoming a young adult is pretty awesome.
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