After we finished delivering papers yesterday morning, Tess and I talked about an ongoing battle we had had the last few days. It ended with me banishing her from the use of my car until her bedroom was CLEAN! Obviously, she has been upset, no, pissy with me. She struck a deal with her father that she could order some summer clothes (shorts, bathing suit, and t's), but had to clean her room b4 they arrived. Well, that did not happen, so she put the new clothing items back in the box and in her father's office on his desk.
That was three, no, four days ago. The car sat in the garage and the piles just simmered. Tess' best friend just left for China, so she wasn't so hot to go out anyway. But then someone called and she made plans. It was eight o'clock at night and the vacuum suddenly pops on. She is running up and down the stairs to the laundry room, the Salvation Army box, and the pile of tights, sweaters, skirts, and bags/purses for the little girls in the neighborhood. I walked into her room to see what was up and by golly, she was done. I could actually see the carpet and the stacks of books and school papers around the perimeter of the room almost looked neat. The closet floor was now occupied with everything that had been spewed on the floor of her bedroom, but this was a smaller, neater pile and the doors would close. So I did just that - close the doors- and then went to find her. I wanted to be positive and to congratulate her for a chore well done...finally.
On my way to the basement looking for her, I passed by the back door and noticed the car was GONE! It is truly amazing how one suggestion of the loss of that freedom she has discovered since turning 16 has given me a new tool, a very successful lever, that seems to move her 16 year-old world. ; }
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