my knuckles are sore from such a tight grip

i realized a few days ago that i couldn't always tell them "NO."  i feel like i say no way more than i say yes.  and let's face it..."YES" is way more fun.  for the kids and the parents, really. 

this time last year, colton was friends with a kid in his class who invited colton and another kid to go to the monster truck show at reliant stadium for the kid's birthday.  when i got the call from the mom, whom i didn't know at all, she said that her husband, whom i didn't know even more, was going to pick up the boys, take them to buffalo wild wings and then on to the truck show.  i hem hawed around...trying to quickly come up with a reason that colton couldn't go.  when i couldn't think on my feet fast enough, i resorted to the ole' "let me talk to my husband and get back to you."  chad wasn't exactly comfortable with it either...and he usually lives by the "what could go wrong" motto.  so, we decided that colton could go, but only if chad went along too.  it needs to be said that reliant stadium is all the way across town...not just up the street.

so they went, and it was fine.

a few days ago, the dad contacted chad and said that they were doing the same thing again this year.  huuuuuhhhhhhh.  (that's a long sigh.)  anyway, i said to chad..."here's the deal.  i know we can't always tell them no and that colton is almost 10 years old and in fourth grade and we have to loosen the grips a little and let him do some stuff with his friends, but i'm gonna have to rely on your good judgement and gut feel, because my gut feel is always fear and what if.  so, i will go along with whatever you think here."  chad said he felt fine with it...so that was that.  we did get an extra, simple cell phone added to our plan that is to serve as our home line.  it is always plugged into the kitchen wall and it is super simple so the kids know just how to use it if they ever needed to.  also, they can give that number to their friends, etc.  the plus is that colt could take that phone with him tonight.  he has already called to check in once.  God love him.

chad was not here when the dad came to pick up colt tonight...so i got to make a fool out of myself alone.  my deal was...that i needed to tell him that we didn't want any drinking.  it was uncomfortable to say...but i just had to bite the bullet and say it.  when i did, he looked at me weird and said, "oh no...they won't be drinking."  i said, "no...you."  that was a stellar moment.

about 10 minutes after they left, i got a call from the dad saying that buffalo wild wings was packed and he wondered if we were ok with him taking the boys to hooters.  i was at a total loss for words...but finally choked out, "ummm...we are not really comfortable with the kids being there."  he said ok, and that he would find somewhere else.  i hung up having that feeling from jr. high...when i felt like i was a huge dork and that people probably thought i was the biggest nerd ever.  but then i decided that i didn't care if he thought i was a dork or a nerd or different than everybody else.  i am different.  i love Jesus...and i want to protect my kids from things they are not ready for...and if that makes me a dork...so be it. 

i've come a long way since jr. high.  sometimes, anyway.

so, here i sit...waiting for our pizza to arrive.  and waiting for colton to call me again after he gets to the stadium and seated...and counting the minutes until he runs up the front walk and into the safety of our home...where i know he is protected and secure.  he's lucky the monster truck show isn't closer...or i may be dressed in camo, hiding out with binoculars a few rows back!  geeesh....how will i be able to take the dating years????

the pizza just arrived and it was brought to us by a young 16 or so kid.  i wonder how his mother handles it?