Obedient Little Rock Stars

Watch out, this might get lengthy. Yesterday I had my teeth cleaned after 13 years. It's funny how even though I'm 30 years old, when I got into that chair I reverted back to a child. The hygienist asks things like, "Do you brush? Floss?" etc. and I say, "Yes ma'am" and hope that she doesn't find anything in there that's been stuck between my teeth for over a decade. (FYI, I got rave reviews and was told I do a great job taking care of my teeth...although I do have three cavities.) ANYWAY, this is not the point.

This is the point: She was being kind and asked me what my family does together for fun. I was speechless. The only thing I could come up with that involves all of us doing the exact same thing at the exact same time is music. At home we never all play the same game or watch the same thing or even barely eat at the same time since Jimmy works at night now. So I told her we like to listen to music together in the car and that our kids are very opinionated at a very early age about what kind of music they like.

In the name of music, last night we all drove together to Goodwill to look for a cheap CD player. I like to give my kids music at night. I feel like it's a great opportunity for them to learn something. They're a captive audience. I've stopped playing music in Libby's room as much since Penelope was born. (I don't do it much when they're babies because I don't want them to be overstimulated.) Well, I took Libby's CD player (the only one in the house) out of her room one night after she had fallen asleep and let Jackson and Cash listen in their room while they were falling asleep. WELL, this caused quite an uproar and in an attempt to put them off I said maybe sometime when we went to Goodwill we could see if they had a CD player there. I thought they would forget about it but oh no, I was asked about it multiple times by Jackson and Libby when we could shop for a radio. So we did. But they didn't have one.

So today at Wal-Mart we bought a radio/CD player. They were out of the cheapest kind, but we bought the one step up because, well, for peace's sake I guess. On the way there Jimmy was watching Jackson enjoy the music through the rear view mirror. He looked at me and said, "We can try, but that kid's not going to be good for anything except being a rock star." Music around here is out of control. Jackson has it on all the time. And I get regular concert/dance shows daily. Tonight I was giving Penelope a bath and I overhear Jackson announce the members of their band and I hear, "And on keys, it's James Cash Alley!" And he decided he wanted a mow hawk today when I cut his hair. Then, he proceeded to tell me he wanted "yellow" (he meant bleached) hair, got out the yellow food coloring, and brought me a bowl, yellow food coloring, and a cup of water. Talk about focused. Monday, he posed with a guitar, made me take his picture, and told me it was for his album cover. (Yes, I'm aware he's holding it wrong. I couldn't correct him for fear we'd loose the moment. He worked really hard not to smile.)

Now all of this is cute and all, but what's got me scared is that my kids are going to turn into rock stars in the way of attitude as well. (Raising a kid in America, it's hard for them to not think they should get whatever they want whenever they want it.) And isn't this the attitude every parent is trying to lasso, reign in, and tie up for good? Kids can be so much like rock stars. They have to have certain kinds of food and drink. (Exactly WHEN they want it!) They expect someone else to pick up after them. They play hard and destroy your living space. And they never perform when and where you want them to. Really, they're just punks sometimes.

So this is my new quest. To tame the rock star. Beware kids. Be young, have fun, rock out. But leave your spoiled, sassy, selfish, punk attitudes on the road. 'Cause we don't put up wit dat 'round here!