Tip Off...

I have been checking my email more than normal this weekend, luckily, because I got a strange email from a young women in our ward who is friends with the teenager. Apparently I had turned off my answering machine when I was trying to receive a fax, and forgot to turn it back on... and missed a bunch of calls she had made trying to reach me, so I immediately call her back, feeling so bad. I think of myself as an easy person to get in touch with... I hadn't turned into one of those dreaded people you can never ever reach or get to call you back?
That would be bad... I don't know why, It would just be very bad!

So when I called her back, she was asking permission for another friend of hers to ask the teenager to tip off (how sweet to ask 1st... I loved that!!!) and when I said yes, they wanted to know if they could come leave some things in his room? And also needed my help to get him out of the house so they could do this.

So as it turns out, the teenager was going to a baptism with me; and if they could come over while we were gone, it would be perfect. He would never suspect a thing! Except how would I get his room cleaned up so he wouldn't be embarrassed about his friends being in there?

I think he must have thought his parents had lost it, have a big house cleaning laundry party at 6:30pm on a Saturday night??? But it was the only way we could be sure there was nothing embarrassing on the floor of his bedroom when these girls came in while he was gone.

So it worked out fine, we had him pull out all of his laundry and sort it in another room... pretty typical, so he wasn't suspicious. Then I started vacuuming.. went through the living room pretty quickly and down the hall and what do you know, ended up in his bedroom... "hey, lift your feet, I'm vacuuming"... he looked at me pretty funny, like I had lost my mind going off on a cleaning spree but he obliged and let me vacuum his room. Okay, with that done, I think it was all going to be okay.

At the last minute he tells me he is so tired from his camp out and doesn't want to go to the baptism with me.... WHAT, YIKES... I panic!!!

I am so the mean Mom and just made him go. He was so made at me, because he HAD to go, but Dad got to stay home!! I couldn't tell him, someone had to stay home to let your friends in your room. So he pouted and glared at me the whole time we were gone.

(It all works out okay, I make him tell me how much he loves me later, after the secret is revealed.)

I am so giddy the whole time, I can not wait to get home to see his face!

Good thing they didn't ask me waaaay ahead of time, I am horrible at keeping secrets!

Really horrible!!!

So before we leave I have to sneak my strong silent mysterious man into the closet and teach him how to use the camera, so he can get pictures of the whole thing.

He was hesitant, so I had to threaten him, and make him promise he would take some!!

I leave trying to be all calm cool and collected... but really I was like a duck on the water, and under the water my feet were paddling a hundred miles an hour!!! After all even though he is just good friends with this girl, it would be his first date. I am even more excited, because they are both really fun kids, and both have really positive uplifting attitudes, and I know they will have such a great time doing this together. They are both the kind of kids that are not too outgoing that they are loud and obnoxious, but attract good kids around them because of their gentle ways, and their big huge kind hearts towards others. They are both very magnetic! So perfect that he will have his first date with someone like this. I love it!

I KNOW!!!! It is not my date... back off! I get it! Not about me!!!! But I was so thrilled the girls called to ask first. And that they trusted me to help them, a little, kind of. It was just fun!! I know I have to step back and let it be his thing. But he is my only kid, I might not get to experience many more of these times... so I am cherishing the moments!!!! Good thing I have my blog to write about it, because if the teenager heard me spewing like this, I would be cut off from anything in his social life forever!!! I am just glad he has good friends, it makes a Mom's heart very happy!!!

So here they come....

And how cool is this... I am expecting her to bring her giggly girlfriends, because we travel in packs like that... but no, she has her "posse" with her.

I love it, her guy friends and her brother came to... for protection from my SCARY strong silent mysterious man I suppose.

He said he felt really really weird taking their pictures... like he was stalking them. But I was so glad to have them!!! Priceless to me!

So here it is..."Have a ball... float on air... don't blow this chance"

I love the irony!

So here is the teenager finding it... he is pretty hesitant... don't know what was going through his mind at this point. He was totally surprised!

Reading....
Oh man there are a bunch of balloons here!

I have to pop them ALL?

I bet they put the one with the name way in the back... lets start there first!
These boys they are smarter than they appear sometimes.
I guess Dad must have been as excited as I was... I wonder if these kids ever really know what it means to us old folks? I know they have their own story about it... but hey, its a thrill for us too!!

He finds "the one"... dah dah dah... he looks nervous. What if it isn't someone he wants to go with? What then? Who would be asking me? (we asked him later who he thought it was, and he said he had NO idea)

Right on! A very happy teenager, he was so glad, and relieved when he found out it was his friend!!!

I have to say "sceptical Dad" was even really pleased... he was so impressed when the kids came over how polite they were and kind and he was really happy the teenager was going to this thing with someone so nice. He approved!

Stay tuned for part two...

"The Reply"