You Know They Are Growing Up When...

Last night after work I picked up the girls and went to fill up the truck as well as grab the ingredients they needed to bake cookies today.

I pulled up to the pump and the young attendant was there before I had shut my truck off.

"Fill with regular?" he asked

"You bet, and could you check the oil too please."

"Sure"

I began walking to the store and I could hear him shouting something.

I looked back and said, "Pardon me?"

He glanced up "No, sorry I was talking to him." he replied as he pointed to his co-worker who was filling another car.

"oh" and I started to walk away again.

This time I heard him, "Do you know how to do oil, you know...check the oil"

I stopped, thinking to myself, shit.... the kid doesn't know how to check the oil. I was just about to turn back and do it myself when I heard him say the following:

"If you don't know come on over and I'll show you."

*whew* He's training ... I carried on.

Young lad came into the store and informed me that I was down, did I want him to put some in. I inquired as to how low it was and he said that he could probably put half of a litre in. I told him to go ahead. He said he would set the remaining half of a litre beside my truck.

After all was said and done, I paid for the fill and oil and went back out to my truck. The young man was just setting the remaining oil on the running board of my truck as I walked up. He turned and handed it to me, thanked me and bid me good day. With a smile on his face I might add. I was VERY impressed with his demeanor. Most of the young people who work at this particular gas station are lazy, not happy with their positions and don't care who knows it; so this young man was a refreshing change of pace.

As I was getting in the truck I glanced up at my fifteen year old daughter in the front seat (the girls had waited in the truck while I filled up) and said, "Wow, he's a cute one!"

She grinned at me, "I know!!! What did his name tag say?"

"I don't know, do you want me to go ask him his name? I could tell him that you think he's cute."

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" This was said with great emphasis and a horrified look on her face.

I couldn't let it go, "Cuz... you know, I could. I don't mind doing that for you and he is awfully cute.... are you sure?"

"MOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM... we just wanted to know if he was K's brother... but you're right he is cute" At this point her face was kind of red and she couldn't stop herself from grinning.

My youngest one piped up from the backseat, "That IS her brother....I told you he works here."

I drove over to the parking lot for the grocery store and parked. All the while I was thinking I should have gotten that kids name, cuteness aside he was damn good at his job. I know that kids who are employed rarely hear positive feedback so I wanted to let his boss know how impressed I was with his employee.

We walked toward the store, of course I wasn't done yet.

"Are you really sure, cuz I think I'm going to go back and get his name anyway."

She glared at me while she giggled, "No, I'm good"

Youngest daughter says, "I could phone K and set you up"

HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA...... Yep you know they are growing up when the younger one offers to set the older one up with her best friends older brother.

Sugar and Spice ...and Everything "Not so Nice"

My youngest daughter phoned me at work the other day to let me know she was home. We chatted briefly about her day as I wasn't overly busy. In amongst the general ramble she casually says:

"Oh, I found slugs in my backpack."

I thought I had heard wrong, "Slugs... is that what you just said?"

"Yes, I found slugs in the bottom of my backpack."

I had to go as work beckoned, however I had slugs on the brain. I was horrified. Slugs.... in Alberta ??WTH?? I couldn't focus, all I could think about was the slimy grossness in the bottom of her backpack, that was IN MY HOUSE!!!!

I quickly dialed home, "Get that backpack out of my house!!! I don't want those things in my house!!!"

"Where should I put it?"

"I don't care, anywhere but in the house" I was thinking the trash, the neighbors yard, the box of the truck across the street...frankly I didn't care as long as it was outside.

Then a thought occurred to me.

"Did you leave food in your backpack??"

"Nooooooo" (giggle)

"Welllllll, maybe I lost a banana and my orange in there." (more giggles)

I'm fairly certain my jaw hit my desk as I shook my head.

"You LOST fruit in your backpack?" How the hell does one lose food in their backpack? How do you lose anything in a backpack?

"Uummm, yeah"

"Are you sure it's not worms?"

"I dunno, it's slugs"

"What do they look like?"

"Well they were moving and they are green and black"

I choke back a gag.

"Did you empty your backpack?"

"NOOOOO!!!! I'm not touching that"

I take a deep breath, "Well, I'm not touching it either. I suggest you take your things out of it. I will buy a new one on the way home."

A meek little voice answers, "oooook... I have to go now"

A short while later my phone rang.

"We got my stuff out and guess what we discovered Mom?"

I was stuck on the "we" part... had my child been so traumatized by this ordeal that she'd developed multiple personalities? As far as I knew she was home alone. So I bravely asked the question, "Who's "we"?"

"My friend from down the street. He came over and looked in my backpack, and took my stuff out for me."

Ahhh, and so we see that the act of seeking out a member of the male species to deal with the nasty jobs seems to be ingrained in us female types from birth. AAAAWWWWWW, how cute, she didn't want to touch the icky stuff so she phoned a boy.

But I digress...

"But Mom, guess what we discovered"

"What did you discover?" I cringed as I awaited the answer, not sure that I really wanted to know.

"There were no slugs in my backpack"

"Hmmmm, no slugs ... that's good..but what was in there?"

"My smooshed up banana hahahah, it was really slimy Mom!" She's laughing now.

"Ohhhhh", big sigh of relief ... Thank God it wasn't slugs or worms. (shudder)

We hung up and I finished my day. I kept smiling to myself as I thought, yep, my lil tomboy isn't so tough after all!! When it comes to gross, nasty, icky stuff she's all girl.

I came home to find yellow rubber gloves in my garbage can. I asked where they came from. Well didn't her friend take them from his Mom's kitchen to wear while he poked through her backpack; I had a chuckle at the visual that came to mind. I could almost see two little kids poking gingerly through a backpack thought to contain slugs. Gasping and jumping, screeching and laughing.

Ohhhhh to be young again!