There's Always a Lesson To Be Learned!

I have been intending to fill you in on Brittany's latest "love interest"...who is now a thing of the past (YES!). My reason for doing so is not to drag him through the mud, but to make the point that God is constantly teaching us lessons, if we'll only be still long enough to LISTEN.

OK...where do I begin? Let's see, I think I should start with Brittany bringing her boyfriend of several months home with her over Christmas Break. We agreed to allow D to stay at our house for 2 nights before flying out of Atlanta to visit his sister in Alaska. Brittany was very taken with D....they'd been dating for almost 3 months. Chris had met him once before, but it was my and Abby's first time to be introduced to him.

Well, shortly after Brittany and D left college to make the 5 1/2 hr. trip to Atlanta, she sent me a text message asking if it would be alright for her and D to get lunch. I didn't think much about it at the time. Chris told me a bit later that she had called him and asked the same thing. We thought it was a bit odd. They got to our house around 6:15 PM that evening. Brittany pulled me aside and told me that D didn't even offer to buy her lunch. She said they stopped to eat, but she ordered first, then D placed his order and made no move to pay. So, she said she had no option but to buy his lunch, too. Not off to a good start!

Everything went fine that evening. We went to Abby's choral performance at school, then came back and ate dinner. D seemed very nice and was quite mannerly. The next day, Chris and I told Brittany that we were going to the mall to have lunch and to do some Christmas shopping and suggested that she and D do the same. She had to talk him into going, but they left shortly after we did. We got back around 3:30 PM and D and Brittany popped through the door a few minutes later. I took one look at Brittany's face and could tell that things were not right. About that time, D walked over to the fridge, got out the leftover spaghetti from the night before, warmed some up on a plate, and that was their (LATE) lunch. As soon as I had a chance, I asked Brittany what had happened. She said they went to the mall and that D wasn't interested in doing anything. Again, he didn't even offer to treat her to lunch, so they ended up having a huge disagreement and decided to come home. Things were heading south real quick!

Chris and Brittany drove D the 45 mins. to the airport the next afternoon. I'm sorry to say, but I was glad to see him leave! There were things about him that were RED FLAGS, in my mind.
First of all, in the 3 months they dated, D, not once, took Brittany out to lunch or to dinner. Call me old-fashioned, but that's just strange to me. He continually made promises to her that he never followed up on, such as taking her to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, taking her to Forever 21 and buying her an outfit of her choice, giving her a "special gift" he, supposedly bought her on Black Friday to show how much he cared. The list goes on and on! Now, it isn't that Brittany EXPECTED these kinds of things because she's about as down-to-earth as they come, however, he shouldn't have told her he was going to do something...and never do it.

While he was in Alaska, he stayed up all night long playing video games with his brother-in-law and ended up sleeping until about 4:30 PM every day! That's so opposite of Brittany...she's a fairly early riser and likes to be on the GO! He kept telling her that when he got back home, he was going to be a "much better" boyfriend to her, so she had high hopes. I, on the other hand, wasn't so sure.

Well, long story short, Brittany got back to Mobile at the end of last week so she could be reunited with D after not seeing him for nearly a month. Needless to say, the day after they got back together, everything fell completely apart. She called me up in tears saying that D hadn't seen her the entire day because he had "tire troubles". So, she went over to his parents' house where he lives and they sat around and watched a couple of movies. She said she was so frustrated with him because all he wanted to do was sit around and do nothing. He didn't call her, at all, the next day to try and make things better, so she decided to end their relationship. She simply wasn't happy...end of story! She had a rough first day, but from that point on, she's been doing just great!

I've shared with Brittany that there was just something about D that gave me a feeling of uneasiness. I felt like he wasn't being forthright about a lot of things and was only saying what he thought Brittany wanted to hear. I assured Brittany that God has designed someone just for her. I told her that it might take years for her to find that "special one", but not to lose heart. God allows us to go through certain trials to help us understand how to lean on Him more for guidance and direction.

I prayed long and hard that Brittany's eyes would be opened to the REAL deal about D. She has since started going to a Bible study at the church she's been attending and I know that God's hand has been in it. It's so hard as a parent to fight the urge to make decisions for your kids that could impact the rest of their lives. You just want to steer them in the right direction so they'll avoid making some of the same mistakes you made when you were younger. Thankfully, God knows exactly what's best and will work it all out in His own perfect timing. This experience for Brittany was definitely a lesson learned...and only one of many more to come.

And to think that I still have this kind of stuff to go through with Abby yet! :)

Triumphs...And Tribulations

This weekend went by way too fast! Chris got home on Friday around noon and the girls had the day off from school, which was nice. However, we were tied up all day long on Saturday at Brittany's track meet. She ran at 12:50 PM and, again, at 6:25 PM. Chris worked the shot put area from 2:00 PM until 6:00 PM., so we didn't get to see each other much. Thankfully, Sunday proved to be a more relaxing day...we all needed it!

Brittany did very well in her races. She ended up beating her best friend, Alicia, again in the 1600m. Brittany finished in 13th place out of 45 girls with a time of 5:38...Alicia placed 16th with a time of 5:43. Her last race of the day was the 3200m. By that time (6:25 PM), it was really cold and the wind was howling! Brittany placed 12th out of 38 girls with a time of 11:58. Her coach was very happy with her performance. She continues to be the #1 distance runner!

Here she is before the start of the 3200m...adjusting her ponytail. A girl has to look good when she runs, you know? :)

And they're off!

I do have to tell you about something that happened on Friday night that got this momma's dander up. Well, remember Brittany's ex-boyfriend, Patrick? That boy is STILL in the picture! Here's how it all went down. Brittany shared with me that Patrick was texting her and asking her, repeatedly, who she was going out with on Friday night...he wanted to know if it was an actual "date". I told her that it was none of Patrick's business. This continued on for over an hour. Her plans ended up falling through, so Patrick asked her to meet him at Chili's for dessert. In a nutshell, I didn't give my stamp of approval. I reminded Brittany that Patrick didn't treat her very well when they were together, yet she's still allowing him to hang onto her. Oh, she knew exactly where I stood...and she wasn't happy about it, either! She can't understand why I don't want to welcome him back with open arms. I'm sorry, but I lost a lot of respect for him in the last month or so.

Thankfully, I ended up convincing Brittany that meeting Patrick at Chili's wasn't such a good idea. Well, on Saturday morning before we left for the meet, I checked my e-mail and found that Patrick had left me a message on Facebook. In it, he apologized to me for how he treated Brittany and informed me that he DID NOT want to get back together with her; he just wants to be her friend. Yeah, right! Not buying it! He asked for me to please consider giving their friendship my blessing. He said he encourages Brittany to date other boys. He even mentioned the prom and how he'd like for Brittany to go with him as friends. Well, I seized the opportunity to explain my position and I wrote him a reply and I told it exactly as I see it. In a nutshell, I explained to Patrick why I lost respect for him and that I didn't feel he treated Brittany the way she should be treated. Also, I told him that if he's so supportive of her dating other boys, why does he grill her for hours on end about what she's doing and who's she's going out with? I told him that he didn't have my blessing for their friendship to continue because I felt that he would never be satisfied with being JUST FRIENDS. I think there's too much history between them to go back.

Well, would you believe that after sending Patrick that message and him telling Brittany that he felt I talked to him like a 5 year old, he STILL had the nerve to come over on Saturday night to see her? They sat outside and talked. That was a very BOLD move on his part. It's almost like he was saying, "I could care less about what you think." Unfortunately, Brittany is now an adult and I can't dictate every choice she makes. She has to make her own calls...and be ready to face the consequences. Oh, and after he left, he sent me another message thanking me for writing him back and for opening his eyes to certain issues, even though he didn't necessarily agree with everything I said. I simply want the boy to GO AWAY! He's like a rash you can't get rid of! :) OK, I know that was bad, but it's how I feel! All of this teenage drama is about to get the best of me! Those of you who haven't been there yet...just you wait!

On another note, Abby about has us talked into heading down to Orlando in a couple of weeks for Spring Break! She's been doing all sorts of research on the computer...she's like my own personal travel agent, remember? Hope it all comes together! A little fun in the sun sounds like a winner to me! Somewhere FAR FAR AWAY from Patrick! :)

Shoutin' HALLELUJAH!

I have GREAT news to report, yes I do! Last night, Brittany went out to dinner with her ex-boyfriend, Patrick. She said they needed to talk things out (AGAIN!). He was really wanting to get back together, but I could tell that after Brittany and I had several talks, she was beginning to think differently. In fact, when she got home from practice yesterday, she mentioned to me that Patrick had told her that if they decided to start dating each other, again, he didn't want her to date anyone else because he didn't want to have to share her. WHAT??? Are you kidding me??? HELLO...um, Patrick...I hate to break the news, but my daughter is NOT your property...and you can not tell her what to do! PERIOD! So, needless to say, I told Brittany that he had no business talking to her in that way and she needed to think long and hard about the decision she was going to make in regards to giving him another chance.

So, off she went to dinner and came home about an hour and a half later. I was biting at the bit the entire time...waiting and wondering how it was all going down. When she walked in the door...I just held my breath. She came upstairs and I could tell she'd been crying... A LOT! I asked what had happened and she told me the words I had longed to hear..."Mom, I just decided that Patrick and I are better off as just friends." It was everything I could do not to start jumping up and down and hootin' and hollerin'!!! However, I held my excitement together and went over and gave her a big hug. She said, "Mom...it's still so hard because I didn't want to hurt him." I explained that, unfortunately, as you go through the dating process, someone is bound to get hurt along the way, but you SURVIVE and it makes you a stronger person. She thanked me for all the advice I gave her and told me that she was so glad she listened to me. I assured her that I will never lead her down the wrong path...she just has to trust me. In the wise words of Dr. Phil..."This ain't my first rodeo!"

So, thanks to all of you who said a prayer about all of this 'teenage drama'...I know I certainly said my share! Isn't it amazing how God always has perfect timing and finds a way to make things "all better"? Brittany seemed so happy this morning when she left for school...it's good to see that smile on her face, again!

On a sad note, please keep the family of Chelsea King close in your prayers. She's the 17 year old from California who went missing about a week ago. She was a high school senior and a standout distance runner on her cross country team. She'd gone to a local park after school for a run and never came home. Her body was discovered yesterday afternoon...she'd been raped and murdered. A convicted sex offender has been arrested and charged with her murder. It has rattled me to the core. I can't tell you the times Brittany has gone for a run at our local park...never thinking that something like that could happen. We live in a very scary world these days...you simply can't afford to let your guard down when it comes to your kids. This morning, I'll be taking Abby to the dentist, then we'll have lunch at Chick Fil-A before I take her back to school. Tonight, Brittany will compete in her first track meet of the season...and I'll be right there cheering her on. What happened to Chelsea (and to so many others) really makes me want to cherish the little moments with my girls all the more.

Breakups and Makeups

Whoever said that parenting a teenager is easy was wrong, wrong, WRONG!!! In fact, it's probably one of the hardest, most exhausting tasks I've ever taken on. Oh, where shall I begin?

Do you remember my mentioning about a month ago when Brittany was on her official visit in Alabama and how her boyfriend of 9 months broke up with her via text message? She was completely devastated, to say the least. In fact, it just almost ruined her entire weekend. Talk about his impeccable timing! I hate to say this, but he's a very clingy person and my feeling is that the very thought of Brittany visiting a college out-of-state and her having fun was more than he could stand. So, as the saying goes, "Misery loves company" and he decided to break up with her and make her as miserable as he was feeling. Well, it worked like a charm because that's exactly how she felt.

When she got home, he asked for his class ring back, which she gladly returned. As time went by, she was beginning to feel much better about being 'single', again. Several boys were showing interest in her now that she was "back on the market". Life was GOOD! Then, she got asked out by a boy who plays baseball at her high school He was such a gentleman! Do you know that he asked if he could come inside to meet Chris and me? What boy does that these days? He walked in and extended his hand and introduced himself, then took Brittany to lunch at Longhorn's. She said he opened every door for her and really treated her nicely. Problem is...she felt absolutely no attraction towards him. Abby and I were so disappointed!

Then, she started liking a boy in one of her classes. Problem with him is that he's her ex-boyfriend's best friend. Believe me, I know! They flirted back and forth for about a week or so and decided to meet at a local park on Friday to go for a run together. She was so excited! Well, about the time she met up with him, she got a text message from her ex saying that he still had strong feelings for her and that he felt he made a wrong decision. Oh, boy. Needless to say, her meeting with that boy didn't go so well because she shared the text message with him and he told Brittany that he couldn't date her because he was Patrick's best friend. She came home in tears and things went south from that point on.

On Sat., I took Brittany and her best friend prom dress shopping in South Carolina. Everything went great...we had such a good time and we were successful! On Sat. night, Brittany started getting more text messages from her ex saying that he still loved her and wanted to see if there was a chance for them. So, she decided to meet up with her best friend at Starbucks to talk it out. Little did I know until the next day that she met with her ex after she finished with her friend at Starbucks. She confided in me that Patrick cried in front of her because he said he didn't intend for them to, actually, break up. He said he was just concerned that we were going to be moving sooner than what we are and he didn't want to get hurt in the process. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!!

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon. Well, Patrick continued to text her and spill out his feelings for her. She, finally, told me that she was beginning to think they had made a big mistake about breaking up. Oh, no...here we go, again! Remember...they had split up once before and got back together. So, she met him last night for about an hour, against my better judgement. When she got home, she was all giddy...and I knew. Yes, they've decided to give their relationship another try. I am not happy about it, at all. I don't welcome all the drama this is bound to bring back into our home. My heart tells me she's making a big mistake...and I can't give her my blessing. I love my daughter with all my heart and I will ALWAYS be here for her, but there comes a point in time now that she's an adult where she has to live with the consequences of her actions. My gut tells me that she's going to end up at square one, again, and will soon be complaining about how Patrick never takes her out on 'real' dates and doesn't want to get to know any of her friends, etc. Why she thinks she can change him, I will never know. The day he broke my daughter's heart was the day my claws came out! I am very protective of my girls and anyone who hurts them is no friend of mine. She deserves much better. As much as I want to scream and shout, I'm just going to sit back and watch everything unfold...and PRAY!!!

For those of you who don't have teenagers yet...ENJOY it while you can! When your kids become teenagers, you're suddenly as dumb as a brick in their eyes. People assure me that when they turn about 21 or 22, it's as if the light bulb comes on and they suddenly realize that you knew way more than they ever gave your credit for. Let's all hope that's the case! :)

"Hmmm! Teenagers! They think they know everything. You give them an inch and they swim all over you!"~Sebastian, The Little Mermaid

Fun Celebration!

Brittany ended up having a GREAT 18th birthday! Thank all of you so much for your sweet birthday wishes! We took her out to dinner at Macaroni Grill after she got home from track practice. Boy, was it ever GOOD! When we got back home, we sang "Happy Birthday" to her and she opened her gifts. Abby had us all in tears. She'd written a one-page letter to Brittany telling her how much she loved her and how much she's going to miss her when she goes off to college. She let me read it the night before and I just sat there and cried. However, when I saw Brittany's reaction, I started crying, again! It was the sweetest letter EVER and I know it meant so much to Brittany. She's the best little sis!

After she finished opening her gifts, Chris, Abby and I doused her with Silly String from head to toe! Her entire head was completely covered with the goopy mess...and it was so much FUN! It took her forever to get it out of her hair...and off her clothes...and out of the carpet, etc.

Her two best friends stuffed her locker at school with balloons, so she couldn't open her locker door without them floating all over the floor! I love that!!! So, as you can tell, I think her 18th birthday was one she'll remember for a long time.

Tomorrow, I'll be able to disclose what Brittany has decided to do about college as it will be "official". We are all so excited...and very relieved! This has been such a stressful process and I'm glad it's finally coming to an end! I do want to share with you something that happened during her official visit. Well, she and her boyfriend have been together for the past 9 months. She sent him a text message on Saturday night telling him that she was having such a good time hanging out with everyone on the team. Apparently, out of nowhere, Brittany said he made the decision to break up with her...in a text message! We were both completely stunned! Can you believe it? She didn't see it coming, at all! However, now that a few days have passed, we have a pretty good idea why he dumped her. He's always been one to hover over Brittany and I don't think he could handle the fact that she was having so much fun...without him. I'm sorry, but that's about the lowest of lows what he did to her. Of all the timing! She was completely heartbroken during her visit. Oh...and did I mention that this all happened only 2 days before her birthday? Thankfully, Brittany is a strong young woman. She was down for a few days, but she's back on her feet, again! As I told her, there are much bigger fish to fry! :)

Well, I have to get busy vacuuming the floor for the millionth time! We have another showing scheduled at noon with a corporate buyer who's already sold his house and needs something ASAP! Aah....nothing like a little PRESSURE!!!

Girls and Giggles...and UPDATE!

On Friday night, Brittany asked us if she could invite her boyfriend, Steven, to join us for our dinner out. Chris and I looked at each other and sort of rolled our eyes as if to say..."Here we go, again!" We really don't need to revisit the whole Andrew saga, now do we??? Just be reminded that it dragged on for 14 very LONG months. We were starting to believe there was no end in sight! Oh, and would you believe that when classes started back this semester, Brittany soon learned that Andrew is in one of them! She's not a happy camper about it, either!

Well, needless to say, we made the decision to go ahead and have Steven join us for dinner. We'd met him several times before, but she wanted to give us the opportunity to get to know him a little better. That's my girl...always looking out for ol' mom and dad! :)

We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and got seated at a huge table where the seat curves around in a big L shape. So, Brittany and Steven sat at one end, Chris and I were at the other, and Abby was in the middle. We made small talk for awhile about this~n~that. Steven's had a tough go of it. His mom died of cancer when he was 8 years old and his dad passed away from a blood clot not long, thereafter. He's now living with his aunt and uncle and his twin brother. I'd heard the story from Brittany before and it broke my heart.

Steven is a nice boy and Brittany thinks the world revolves around him. Well, Brittany has a tendency to be very giggly. She gets tickled about the slightest things sometimes, but laughter is a good thing, right? Well, we were all talking amongst ourselves and I heard Brittany say, "Oh, Steven, I make lots of noises...you just haven't heard half of them." The very moment those words came out of her mouth, I took one look at her face, and it's as though the light bulb came on and she realized what she'd said. I started getting tickled, then she followed, and before we knew it...we had tears rolling down our faces! I, literally, thought I was going to spew my tea halfway across the room! It was the funniest thing ever and, probably, one of the most embarrassing. Poor Steven and Chris just sat there shaking there heads because they, obviously, had no clue what we were laughing about! It took us several minutes, at least, to completely regain our composure. It was a doozie, I tell ya!

I remember being that same way with my mom. We could take one look at each other and bust out laughing. We did it in doctor's offices, stores, church, you name it! As they say, laughter is the best medicine. If that's the case, I must be as healthy as a horse!!!

Hope you have a tremendous Tuesday!



UPDATE: I just received a call from my brother. He had just seen the oncologist about the melanoma he was diagnosed with. The doctor told him he didn't really see a need for further testing at this point...Praise the good Lord! He did have another spot on his cheek removed for biopsy...results will be in later this week. For the time being, however, all is well. Thank you so much for lifting him up in your prayers! Y'all are the best!

Back Home Again!!

Well, we got home from South Carolina late yesterday afternoon. We were all completely worn out, but it's so good, always good, to be back home, again.

Abby and I left for South Carolina on Friday afternoon with Brittany and two of her cross country teammates. I had to drive them to Furman University for their meet on Saturday afternoon. It took us a good 2 1/2 hours to get there, rather than the expected 2, because we were following another family and we got lost several times! That's pretty bad when a MAN pulls over and asks ME for directions! Not good, not good, at all! What's even worse is that we both have GPS devices in our vehicles and we STILL got turned around! Oh, where was Chris when I needed him?

Abby finally gave him a call. He was actually already at Furman and was able to give us step by step details on how to get there. Thank goodness! It always comes so easy for him! So, after several more minutes, we made it there, no worse for wear...well, almost!

The girls (8 of them) and the coaches ran the course so they would be better prepared for the race. We took all their smelly bodies to the hotel where we stayed so they could shower before dinner. Definitely a SMART decision!
The coaches had said we'd be going to Olive Garden for dinner, but since Furman was having their homecoming, we opted to go to a local pizza pub to avoid the crowds. The food was actually pretty good and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We all left and went back to the hotel for some much needed rest...it had been a LONG day.

The next morning, we all ate a quick breakfast at the hotel, then it was off to Furman to watch some college teams compete. I kept thinking...that could be Brittany in about a year and a half! It was very exciting to watch! Right before our girls ran, my brother-in-law and a close family friend showed up, as well as my husband's cousin. They all came to watch Brittany compete.

The varsity girls' race started at 12:30 PM They ran on a golf course, so it was pretty hilly. There was a total of 282 girls in the race. Brittany finished in 18th place overall and first on her team with a time of 20:42. We knew that it wasn't going to be a PR course because of the hills. The team placed 10th overall out of 41 teams, so we were all very proud of them.

Once the race was over, we drove to Chris' mom's house. It was Abby's 12th birthday, so we had a little celebration for her that evening. We wanted to do something to make her feel special and I think she really appreciated it. She was thrilled because she got a Jonas Brothers CD, a Jonas Brothers shirt, a Camp Rock calendar, and a Jonas Brothers poster. I ask you...does it get much better than that?

My father-in-law's funeral was on Sunday afternoon. We all attended church together on Sunday morning, came home and rested for a bit, then we had to head back at 2 PM. The service was very nice. The part that got me is when the choir sang, "Jesus Loves Me". As my father-in-law's disease progressed, he rapidly lost the ability to speak. However, when his caregiver, Ann, came over, she'd always sing, "Jesus Loves Me" to him and often, he would sing or hum along with her. So, the song held special meaning for that very reason. He was buried with full military honors, complete with a 21-gun salute and the presentation of the American flag to my mother-in-law. Very touching, to say the least. Everyone seems to be at peace knowing my father-in-law is finally HOME.

When we got home yesterday afternoon we all had so much to to catch up on. Homework, laundry, unpacking/packing... Chris had to leave this morning at 5:30 AM for Mobile, Alabama where he'll be working the next several days. It's really quite an adjustment for me having him gone, again, after being home for the past 6 months. Of course, it's a good thing, so I dare not complain. Afterall, when he's on the road, I get full control of the remote. No FOX Sports for me!!! I do wonder, though, what might happen while he's away...Will the faucet spring a leak? Will the closet door fall off it's hinges? Will the fridge stop working? Something ALWAYS happens when Chris is away. Hopefully, this will be a catastrophe-free week!!

I almost forgot to write about Brittany and Andrew...so much for my wishes for a catastrophe-free week, I'm afraid. She is very uspset with him because he didn't bother to call her one time while we were in South Carolina to see how she was holding up. When she brought it up during their phone conversation after we got home, his "excuse" was that it was his mom's birthday and he couldn't find the time. He, actually, hung up on her yesterday afternoon! Oh, the very nerve of that boy!! He may not realize it, but when he messes with Brittany, he's messing with ME! So, this may very well be the beginning of the end! It doesn't hurt to dream, does it? I'll keep you posted!!

Brittany and me before her race...

Brittany is on the far left #1843...
Rounding the first mile...

The birthday girl and her Jonas Brothers CD....

Opening more gifts...

She may be 12, but she'll always be my little girl...

Oh, No, She Didn't!!!

I just thought I'd toss a little tidbit your way regarding the two love birds....Brittany and Andrew (cough, cough). WELL, there was a football game at their high school on Friday night and, of course, Andrew wanted Brittany to go. His exact words to her were, "Let's make a date out of it." Now, being a female, Brittany made the assumption that DATE meant he'd pick her up and take her out to dinner. Duh?

After she got home on Friday afternoon following cross country practice, I asked what her plans were with Andrew. She gave me a disgusted look and informed me that she was going out to dinner with us as a family, then Andrew was going to pick her up and take her to the game. She was so bummed that he didn't offer to take her to dinner. The last time was on the night of the homecoming dance, and to be honest, I think it was more out of obligation than anything. They haven't gone out on a REAL DATE in a long time.

I advised Brittany to ask Andrew what was going on. He explained to her that his family was going through some financial difficulties right now. This was news to us both. I mean, for homecoming, Andrew went out with Brittany and picked out a dress shirt and tie for homecoming at the Men's Wearhouse. He went back with his mom and she bought them for him. The shirt was $50 and the tie was $40. I'm sorry, but I could have easily purchased both items for about $50 or less. I'm one mean bargain hunter!

Then, to make it all even more confusing, Andrew told Brittany that his mom took his brothers to a movie on Friday night and that the whole family (5) ate dinner last night at Red Lobster. Huh?

Trust me, I understand about financial difficulties, especially with the way the economy is headed...BUT, it seems like a double standard. Oh, and what really got me is that Andrew's mom told him that Brittany needs to start paying for half of the check whenever they do eat out. Say WHAT? She went on to say that, "She needs to stop acting like a princess."

Hold on there, Missy! I know I'm their mom and all, but my daughters are very grounded and they are far from being prima dona's who expect the best of everything. In fact, Brittany has told Andrew many times that she isn't the type who has to go to pricey restaurants. She'd much rather eat chicken wings at Buffalo's, than to eat at a stuffy la-tee-da restaurant.

I'm sorry, but that got my dander up a bit. What both Chris and I think is that Andrew's had Brittany on his arm, so to speak, for over a year now and he feels no need to do anything to impress her or make her feel special. We, girls, never tire of being treated with thoughtfulness and consideration. Am I right here? What are we going to do about that boy...AND his mom?! :)