<p>Age, bleh. H and I joined a gym today. We have never, ever been inside one before. </p>
<p>I saw us in the mirror. I asked the buff young manager for a discount. I said H and I would help business because everybody would look at us and work harder not to look like us. </p>
<p>What amazed me was how cute H looked on those machines! I told him it was a turn-on. He fairly glowed. Maybe this will be good. You guys are the first ones I’ve told…</p>
<p>Gee Oaks mom, if you’ve gotten all the way to teens on only the occassional vino, my hat is off to you!</p>
<p>A couple of mine became obnoxious teens at age 12. Twelve. Wouldn’t talk to adults b/c we were all doddering dolts. But they outgrew it at about 15 so it was ok.</p>
<p>The time I seriously took up drinking was when they started driving alone, which in our family was around 17.</p>
<p>OK, the other time I seriously took up drinking was when they started dating and driving alone. Oy.</p>
<p>Hahaha mommusic…almost to the driving alone stage. The dating and driving alone is a bit off cause here in California the kids can’t drive with friends for a full year. So, dances and dates require mater or pater to drive and thus pickup promptly…I can’t help but wonder if these new teen driving rules will cut down on teen pregnancies for our sunny state; not much chance for backseat shenanigans 
…but I digress! </p>
<p>Aged 12??? yeah…I think one of mine is exhibiting the ‘changeling child’ behavior…scary…and this is my sweet one…nah…they were all sweet once upon a time…ahhhh, pour me a drink bartender!</p>
<p>Hey!! A thread must have been deleted somewhere that I had posted in, cuz now my post count is back down to 2190. I think it is a conspiracy to make me buy another round for all in SA when I hit 2200 again!! Bartender, cut off the tab! (except for Oaksmom- she has rising teens-- she needs a drink!)</p>
<p>And to answer your question , Oaksmom- there is no set age when your teen starts acting really stupid. But its like love-- you cant define it but you’ll know it when you see it! You will go overnight from being the all wise, loving parent, to the stupidest fool on the face of the earth who couldn’t possibly know what your teen is feeling or thinking 'cuz you grew up with the dinosaurs. And they will no longer want to be seen with you in public, especially somewhere where they might run into their friends. Welcome to teenage years.</p>
<p>*** edit** Oh I see mommusic did a much better job of explaining when we take to serious drink. When they get overtaken by fumes… car fumes and perfumes.</p>
<p>If you ask my younger s when he was born, he says his life began when he got his drivers license and a car.</p>
<p>During teenage years, the lovely word “Mommy” turns into a mature new word like “Mom” if you’re great, but “Mother” to cover when they’re mad atcha. Highly skilled teens can utter “Mother” as a l0-syllable word with subtle Chinese musical tones.</p>
<p>Yes: “Mu-THERRRRRRR!”</p>
<p>I get the short version, “Mom!”, said in as few nanoseconds as possible, with the sense that they are actually biting the word in half.</p>
<p>Like if they could just nail the word to my forehead some understanding might penetrate my dense being.</p>
<p>OaksMom, just wait until your darling children go to an elite university and start drinking for the first time in the halls of Ivy. Life is so special:).</p>
<p>Welcome to the Alley.</p>
<p>What does one have to do to become a senior member? I take it it has to do with post number, rather than age? My age should not be visible here (although it is very advanced)…</p>
<p>S1 turned into an awful teen at the time of his 14th birthday, almost 10 months ago. These have been long months, dog months. There was a glimmer of light yesterday as he mentioned that he (and not his brother) would be the one to support me in my old age. But then he said, “When your hair is gray - and STAYS GRAY EVEN WHEN YOU DYE IT!!”</p>
<p>paying3: congratulations on joining. I took a tour of a local gym a few months ago but am still on the sidelines… I might join if they had other shapeless members. They should really have designated hours for the ‘out of shape’ crowd.</p>
<p>On a happier note: I got 95% of thanksgiving groceries done this am, in record time too. I’ll think about the gym after the meal :-)</p>
<p>The only gym I belong to is in my basement.</p>
<p>Senior Member is 1000 posts. And sometime ago I attained the title “The Mother”. Even my kids teachers have been known to address me that way.</p>
<p>Shouldn’t there be a weightage given so that substantial posts count for more than trivial ones? Just like AP courses get weighted more than gut courses…?</p>
<p>I’ve noticed some posts get counted while others don’t. I’ve been in the 90’s for the last 20 posts or so, it seems.</p>
<p>cafe = zero weight.</p>
<p>OTOH my best posts are almost always cafe.</p>
<p>go figure.</p>
<p>Then I have no hope of becoming a senior member. S1 is only in 9th grade, so I pretty much only post in the Cafe.</p>
<p>NYmom, maybe you should try some posts elsewhere, so you can qualify for the 10% Tuesdays in SA as a senior! That’s the only benefit to seniority!</p>
<p>Pour some happy bubbly for the college kids coming home! It’s so good to see them.</p>
<p>Er, I meant for the parents of the kids, of course!</p>
<p>somemom: I never knew about the 10% Tuesdays! </p>
<p>But at this rate I probably won’t qualify for Senior status until my sophomore is in college. Then I will truly qualify on the basis of grey hairs alone. No carding necessary.</p>
<p>I have been roasted like a Peking Duck in the regular forum often enough, however thereby attaining my senior status, that now I just sit in the Alley and mutter for the most part:).</p>
<p>10% off Tuesdays? Count me in.</p>
<p>I got carded over the summer. I assumed it was a come-on, because there is no way in hell I look <21.</p>