Girls, girls, girls!
Pat Fule
Fule for Thought
Now that I have your attention, this article is about the joys, sorrows, and trials of raising teenaged girls! In fact, it specifically deals with the experiences I’ve endured (had?) with my “angelic” daughter Breanne. If you’ve never met Breanne she’s kind of like a Tootsie Pop … she’s got a tougher exterior shell, but she’s soft and sweet inside. When she was a baby, she could be a fussy car rider. We often went to our hometown Canmore on weekends to visit relatives. On these trips, Breanne was a quiet angel for about the distance to Calgary. Now if you remember, “way back when” I told Debbie I wasn’t not all that sure about fatherhood. I can be very patient with other peoples’ kids … not so much my own. So, I was ready for any outburst … I packed extra bottles of formula and juice! As soon as I heard some fussing, I’d reach back with a fully loaded bottle and soon, she’d drunk herself back to sleep. I know, I know, the juice bottle’s not supposed to stay in their mouths too long … we took it out when she was back to a deep sleep. The only problem was when we got to Canmore two hours later, Bree had the biggest, heaviest diaper in Alberta (talk about “Baby’s got back!” (song reference))!
As a little girl, she was a tough nut to crack. If she got in trouble, or something hurt her, she rarely cried. She’d put on a stoic, stone-cold face and meet the trouble that way. In fact, once as an eight year old, her punishment was “grounding” to her room while the rest of us “hammed” it up with pop, popcorn, and “The Nutty Professor!”
The three of us made it sound like the funniest, best night ever. She snuck out of her room every so often, but her shadow gave her away, and back to “solitary” she went!
She’s now 22, and she STILL remembers that evening, so it must have had a strong impact. The ironic thing now, is that she and her pals often “ground” me from my ‘Man Cave’ to watch “The Bachelorette” or “Magic Mike!”
Years ago, my dad died suddenly of a heart attack, and Breanne didn’t cry. She loved “Poppa Joe,” and he worshipped her and Brennen. He was always getting them treats, taking them to feed the ducks, and he even bought a bunk bed for them! She faced his death with the face of a tough little girl, again very stoic and serious. It wasn’t until 2.5 months later when one evening, we heard hysterical crying and sobbing. We ran to her room and she sat on her bed shaking with tears, saying, “I miss Poppa Joe!”
We don’t know if it was the shock at first, or that she bottled up her grief, but it released that night, and she cried with all her heart.
Our house was not a place where we wanted school teens to party. The kids were told that as teachers, we couldn’t have students drinking in our home. Sadly, their 20’s hit, and our house has become the pre-drinking spot. That’s where the “20 somethings” save money by drinking at a house before the bar, so they can save money! We’ve come to know many of both kids’ friends, and I’ve usually been the D.D. on New Year’s Eve. Their friends are great, and Breanne even has two little dainty, hobbit-like friends, named Shelby and Sam. They’re both petite young ladies, who take “no crap” from anyone.
Poor Shelby once had her shoe put on the ceiling fan blade by my son, and she could only watch, as it spun around and around on the fan’s blade! Last Christmas, I had watched a Jamie Oliver Yuletide show where he showed a drink where you’d have a jigger of Tequila (bad news to begin with) and add a teaspoon of pomegranate berries. I thought it was great; Bree screamed and cried like, well … a girl. Danielle ran to the bathroom, but Sam was the only one of the girls to tough it out. She “manned up” so to speak!
When my son and daughter’s friends come over, they know they’re welcome … one even comes through the back gate and into the kitchen! There’s always a lot of laughter, teasing, and sarcasm flying … just how the Fules like it! Breanne now has a Summer job working as a Youth Leader with the Youth Club of Strathmore. Yesterday, a 12 year old boy told her … you’re 22, you have no boyfriend, and you live at home … wow.”
I think she may have been a bit stunned, and didn’t reply. Well, I just want her to know that she’s a beautiful girl, inside and out. Our kids often need to hear that, and Breanne’s no different. Well Breanne, you can steal my Man Cave when you need to … as long as you warn me before I see any Bachelorette images … I don’t want to poke out my eyes!
(“Fule for Thought” is a slice of life humourous column that appears in the Strathmore Times, written by long-time resident, town councillor, high school teacher, coach, husband and father of two – Pat Fule. If you would like to get in touch with Pat, you can send him an e-mail at Pat.fule@shaw.ca)