Come on down to Funky Town

Henceforth in the Michener household, Summer 2008 shall be referred to as The Summer of Puberty. Because one of my children is a bit of a late bloomer and the other is a bit of an early bloomer, they seem to be hitting this milestone at the same time. Add to that the fact that we live in a small house without much room for privacy, and you come up with the conclusion that everybody is all up in everybody else's bidness. This leads to lots of interesting questions and lots of interesting discussions, and lots of "Ewww" from the boy.

Given Annamarie's developmental delays, I was really hoping to have one more year before having the feminine hygiene talk with her. Mainly because she is prone to overshare with classmates, old ladies at church, and strangers on the street, but also she's only ten, for crying out loud. Unfortunately, circumstances forced a hurried delivery of that talk in a truck stop restroom in Arizona, and she handled the whole thing with the same cheerful attitude she has about everything. I love that girl. Even this morning when she stuck her armpit in my face and declared indignantly, "Mom, I smell like Dad." (Please don't picture Ron as a smelly guy. I would never marry a smelly guy.)

Coincidentally, just yesterday when I picked Thomas up at camp, he got in the car and I thought, "WHAT is that smell?" It was the delightful aroma of 12-year-old boy. They are now the proud owners of Axe deodorant (I can't decide whether it's an improvement or just a different kind of funk) and Secret Sparkle.

Even the dog has found something rotten to roll in at the far reaches of the back yard. I hope it's not something she killed herself. Every time she comes back in from her visits outdoors she has freshly applied Eau de Dead Things and we can't bathe her for two more days since we just applied her flea and tick goo. Now that I think of it, that stuff smells so awful that she's probably trying to cover it.

This all probably makes you want to come over to our house for a visit, doesn't it? I knew a day would come when I'd really need the dozens of yummy smelling candles I've been collecting.