My oldest daughter turns 14 today.  Patricia tells me I am supposed to be blogging about our Africa trip in 6 days but all I can think about is the fact that tonight we are hosting, our first ever, guy-girl party…  I don’t know if I am ready for this. 

From This

To This in 5 Years

I didn’t expect this birthday to be nearly as overwhelming for me as the big 13 was.  Having a child become a teenager definitely makes it clear that you are old now.  So, I accepted that a year ago (turning 40 a month before that didn’t help much either).  

So tonight I get to BBQ hotdogs and hamburgers for 18 kids: 12 girls and 6 boys.  The boys are here from 6 to 9 PM and then we kick them to the curb and the 12 girls take over the house for the rest of the night for a slumber party. 

I have to tell you I am fairly overwhelmed at this daunting task.  First, the idea of having boys and girls checking each other out under my roof makes my skin crawl.  (I used to be an 8^th grade boy and I remember how demented I was.)  Then, I have 12 giggly girls (plus my own clan) for the rest of the night.  16 females in the house tomorrow night!

So how does one navigate these waters?  Do I greet the boys at the door with guns strapped to my belt?  Do I rip the eyeballs out of the first one who looks inappropriately at my daughter?  Probably not the best strategies for creating a fun and hospitable party environment.  I definitely want my children’s friends to find our home a place of love and peace and we have worked hard over the years to make that happen.  But this whole ‘boys coming to the party’ thing is a big change for me.  I really don’t know if I am ready for it.

The one thing I am sure of, once the boys leave I need to hide in my office or bedroom for the rest of the night.  Retreat is the only way to survive 16 females.