Our New Bundle Of Joy

Excuse me, I've been a little busy the last few days being a mother to a 16-year old Brasileira. It's all good, though-- I'm getting a little taste of what it might be like in the future when Ruby Jane hits the teens.

I'm picturing her bedroom with the morning's reject outfits lying crumpled on the floor, the bed, or draped over chairs. The sweet smell of perfume wafting from her room. Books, CDs and DVDs scattered over the desk. Electronic gadgets abandoned where they were last used. And candy wrappers filling the trash can (if they made it that far when carelessly tossed).

I'm also imagining the talks we'll have about boys. The ones who are cute, the ones she's trying to get to notice her, the ones she wish would stop noticing her. And about her 1,000,000 favorite buddies in the whole world-- all of whom are her bestest friends ever. Whoa, all the endless, endless talking. Endless.

I'm trying to think of what I'll say when one day she comes out of her room with a skirt that barely covers her perky little bum, looking all adorable and way, way too enticing. Or what I'll do when the munchies hit her after a long day at school and she orders a pizza before dinner.

Oh, Ruby Jane! Don't grow up! Not yet!

But for now, our sweet, smart, outgoing and hungry exchange student is giving me insight into the world of teenage girls. So what if my ears fall off and we need to take out a second mortgage to keep her fed, I'm getting a valuable education, goshdarnit! (And...um...maybe she'll let me borrow some of her way-too-cool clothes....)

Ah, now that's something to look forward to!