Always! Sometimes it’s so different than what you expect. And mhmm, you’re correct. There are ways to make sure things go just as planned and when things get out of place. But we roll with it. It’s amazing how that happens, right? Gotta love them. Night and day, yes! A lot of change, and in a good way too. We all learn. It’s a process.

Definitely makes sense. Things like that happen, you know? Like you said, someone forgets, someone communicated inefficiently. I guess that's why there have to be other protocols in place, some sort of back up plan ready to go in case it all goes upside down, right? They do, I could never do what they do, they've honestly got so much more patience and understanding, especially when they're dealing with very young kids. I think they need the extra attention, in those cases. I bet that it's night and day, comparing where you grew up to how things are here. You're right!

Lara was out with her daughter running some errands. The pair decided to stop at Cobblestone to get some midday pickmeups. She liked bringing Lily around with her on these errands because it made things easier when talking to people, not that she wasn’t capable of that on her own but sometimes it just made things a little bit simpler. Lara looked around as they fell in line, only to feel someone bump into her side. “Oh hi Elliot,” she signed watching him. “Everything alright?” She asked, curiously. She was unsure of what had just happened, but judging from the look on his faces something just happened.

Open: 1/5 Where: Cobblestone Cafe

Usually it took a lot to get Elliot frustrated, always taking pride in just how patience he could be with people and situations. But as he stood there in line at the counter, trying to order his coffee, he could feel the frustration at the situation he found himself in starting. Communication was usually never a real problem for Elliot. Once he gestured to let someone know that he couldn't hear, that he was deaf, they seemed pretty okay with reading whatever he typed down on his phone. However, currently, the barista behind the counter seemed to be ignoring every attempt he had done so far to let them know he needed them to read his phone. Having gestured over and over that he couldn't hear, holding his phone out in front of them- Maybe they were having a bad day or they were a new hire, whatever it was, it was truly getting to Elliot. And not wanting to hold the line up any longer, he hastily shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned without a second thought to get out of line, smacking right into someone as he did. "Sorry-" He instantly signed before even seeing who it was.

I did the whole ice and salt thing during the summer! So that was pretty cool from what I remember. But no, I haven’t done ice cream soup! That sounds interesting though. I’m thinking that’s something she’d want to check out, so I’m excited about that part. That’s what we love to do! Keep those photos for future use, haha.

Did you ever make ice cream soup as a child, though? Where you'd scoop ice cream into a bowl and then spin it around and around with a spoon until it took on a liquidy texture, and then sort of slurp it? We used to do that all the time. Kind of embarrassing now, but we loved it! That's true! And it'll be a fun summer if she has some sports-related things that she can focus on, that'll make it go fast but be extra fun. Oh, trust me. My mother absolutely has the photos somewhere in the house.

Lara turned her head a bit and then nodded. “Very nice kid,” she confirmed. She wasn’t worried about Lily and Colton getting closer, but she still had to keep an eye on the two of them. They were kids after all. And she knew Cage had been thinking the same thing too. “There is a first time for everything,” she confirmed with a nod. She remembered what it was like to be a teenager, spending a lot of time with her friends, balancing out those relationships. She saw it in her friends and how they had to talk to their parents about it. Sometimes it went well, sometimes not so much. “Yes! She loves getting all dressed up and everything, hair, dresses, makeup, all of it. It’s a time to be creative.” Lara looked around. “Maybe something like a bracelet and matching necklace? Or a hair clip?” She gestured to her hair.

Elena couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as Lara divulged the fact that Lily might have had a boyfriend. A sneaky boyfriend! The drama! "Is he a good kid?" she asked curiously, and then realized that if he was the son of someone that Lara knew, she doubted that he was a bad kid -- Lara didn't keep bad company, after all. "Because she's a good kid, so I can imagine she would choose someone good as a boyfriend. Although my God, that has to be nerve wracking for you," she shook her head at the thought. To raise a child into their teen years and then suddenly realize… they weren't a kid anymore. "That means that now you get to deal with all the fun stuff like date nights and school dances," which meant even more detail needed to be paid to the outfits. "Green," Lena nodded her head, "anything in particular that you're looking for in green?"

Oh my goodness. I can only imagine how that will go. But I’ve seen it happen with classmates a few times, usually it’s someone who forgot, or people just don’t communicate well. Teachers do such a good time at taking care of the kids in their classes. I’m ever grateful for that. It’s perfect for blended families too, because there’s so many people involved. I don’t either, I grew up in a big city and then lived in one for many years. I think so much has changed, it’s hard for them to imagine us as kids in a different world.

Imagine your friend asking you to pick up their kid and you forgot what the password was when you got there…? And then you would have to deal with teachers refusing to let you leave, since you're suspicious. Talk about a nightmare scenario that you suddenly end up walking into, right? There absolutely are, I don't have anything against cities or the people living in them, but I'm happier in my small town, for sure. It's a different world, and I think that as adults, we need to recognize that even saying, 'I was a kid once, I get it,' doesn't have the same weight. The worst kinds of people, and they happen to be the loudest.

Absolutely. It’s a process. And we never really know what is going through their heads! That’s just the beauty of parenthood. I can’t believe Lily is going to be a junior next year.

Isn't that just the way it is? And then they're angels because they realize all the good things you can do for them as parents. And yet, having them is maybe one of the most rewarding parts of our lives, or at least mine.

Exactly! No one wants ice cream that is melted or on the floor. Yeah, I don't think that's any good. It's right around the corner, can you believe it? And that means that it is prom season. Oh, she is, trust me. And I feel like we just had a spring break! But now everything is wrapping up and she's got a couple of sports things coming up too, which is exciting. That sounds adorable! You've got to show me pictures if you still have them.

Exactly, what's the point of ice cream if you can't even enjoy it properly because it melted or you dropped it or it just didn't turn out right? Honestly, it would just be sad! I don't want that, I don't think that anyone wants that. Never a bad idea to start thinking of fun things to do for the summer! I bet at this point, she's just counting down the days until school is done, given that we're starting May tomorrow already. I know, it was so cute! I remember getting dressed up to match my teddy bear, even.

“And then I have to learn about it all too,” Lara said. She had spent days at the mall with her friends, mostly to avoid being home but they enjoyed wandering, looking at things that were too fancy or not fancy but with a ridiculously fancy price tag. Everyone was there because it was the place to be. Things were different now and she understood that, but being a teenager was just a difficult stage anyway. “Oh my goodness… I feel like I’m already almost there,” she shook her head. “She already has a friend… who’s a boy… that his dad and I think they are more than friends but right now they are just really close.” She grinned. “Perfect! She loves the color green.”

She could remember what that was like, being a teenager, going shopping, her father nearly in tears from boredom and frustration as he watched her struggle with what to buy, what would look good, what would make her feel confident. Girls had it tough at that age, something she had learned twice over. "It's a rite of passage," she said, slowly and carefully choosing her words, letting out a soft laugh. "Wait until she goes prom dress shopping, or trashes her bedroom picking out an outfit for date night." Although Elena wasn't sure if Lily was dating just yet, she knew that those days were the tough ones for parents. "I'd be happy to help!" she assured her with a bright smile. "She's a very sweet girl."

I remember taking a class where we shouldn’t go with someone after school unless that someone had a special password. It works pretty well, unless someone forgets the password. In the big city there are way more people to think about! Oh yeah, they love talking about teenagers as if they know them. It’s completely different now. We ran around until the streetlights came down. But now everyone’s connected. If they can’t get their opinion out, then we’re never going to hear the end of it. Absolutely, yeah. The ones who preach but don’t learn.

It's a blessing -- I can remember taking rides home from people that I barely knew, but knew enough that my parents trusted them, and there's no way that you would do something like that in a big city, with a ton of people around. Mostly because there's no way that you would know all of those people. Oh, well, of course, you have to rat out the teenager that you see being out and about, doing teenager things in public! Otherwise, what's the point of being a boring, older person with nothing better to do, right? I'm sure that they're the type of people who don't even have good relationships with their kids, that's the kicker.

Ha, exactly. Then if something they initially didn’t want is gone, it’s the end of the world. Those dramatics last maybe a week? And then they’re nice and lovely again. That’s exciting!

Always the moment it's gone, they want it again. Children are menaces, and yet I'm going to be so glad to have mine back home for the summertime soon.

That makes perfect sense, though. No one wants to accidentally smush their ice cream cone or have it dripping all over their hands. I guess it also depends on if you are walking around or will be sitting in one place. Okay, that also makes sense! Is it much harder or is it just the cleanup? Maybe I should get one for Lily this summer, just in case she wants something to do during the summer. Oh, that's adorable!

It depends! If it's really hot out, absolutely a cup, because there are few things worse than having ice cream melt all over your hands while you're just trying to have a good time. But if I know that's not a risk, sometimes I'll go for a cone. It's sort of like restuarant meals. Yes, okay, sure. I can make that at home, no problem -- but then I have to actually get the ingredients and cook and clean up, versus just going to a restaurant and leaving someone a very big tip for doing all that for me. Yes! We had a teddy bear picnic once, too, where we all brought in our teddy bears to eat lunch with, that was fun!

It’s a different feeling all together. The city is just so big and expansive and lots of things happening. Not saying that a small town doesn’t have that. But in a place like Merrock, most businesses are local and you know all your kids’ classmates’ parents. I’ve encountered some of those, especially with Lily being the type to like to explore with her friends. Some of them would try to call me or tell me that they saw her walking around with a boy as if I don’t already know. I have to politely tell them that I know who her friends are and then they go into a separate tangent about parenting.

I think if I were a parent, that's how I would feel, too. It's different than living in a big city, where you probably don't know your next door neighbor, let alone the entire block of people that you live nearby. But here, you always know someone who knows someone, and also… we have really nosy older people -- what trouble could kids get into that they aren't already scoping out and reporting back to their parents on, right? I'm sure that it does. Like one moment you're thinking that you're on top of the game as far as parenting goes, and the next… a wrench gets thrown into your plans.

Lena was one of the good souls in town, there were plenty of them but she stood out in plenty of ways. She had helped Lily with her makeup for one of the school dances, so the two had been pretty familiar with one another. Lara smiled and nodded. "Just a little," she mouthed out, gesturing with her fingers. Lena wasn't wrong, teenage girls were a whole different species, it seemed, from being an adult and a mom. "Please! Actually, I'd like that," she nodded. "Sometimes it's hard to read her."

There was no shortage of good people in Merrock, and Lena had come to know Lara as one of those; she just always seemed sweet to her, ready to get to know someone, never one to turn down conversation. And those were the kind of people that Lena found herself seeking out, feeling the most comfortable around. Maybe that was why she loved Merrock as much as she did, why she was proud to be from the little town, rather than flying off to Los Angeles with her mother and sister when she had been given the chance. "A little picky?" she asked, offering Lara a sympathetic smile when she mentioned purchasing for a teenager, only able to imagine how tough that could be sometimes. "If you ever need any help…!" she offered, smiling brightly. "I was a teenaged girl once… a long time ago, but still."

I hope so! That's the goal. I mean, who wouldn't want to hear that? How's the rest of your week going, by the way?

Sounds like you did pretty good, all things considered. I'm sure she feels supported but minimal pressure, and one day she'll tell you that she's grateful for your excellent mothering.

Oh my gosh, there was that too. Asking them if they still want it or wear it, they say no and then next thing you know, they're looking for it. That is true! Some of them do like keeping busy like that.

Or you'd just plain forget about them until your parents donated them to Goodwill and you cried about it, let's be honest. Some kids like working at a young age! And all the more power to them, really.

Who: Lara Marie Caruso & @mxharleyhua

What: Park Cleanup

When: Earth Week

Lara was at the playground, taking a look around the area. She remembered taking Lily here when her daughter was younger, watching her run around the play structure. So today there was no question that she would be back, to help the rest of the town do some cleanup. Plastic bag in hand and gloves on, she went for the picnic area before spotting Harley. Waving, she smiled. "How've you been?" she asked. "Enjoying everything so far?"

It does, and here in town everyone’s been great. It’s not that I don’t have to pay attention to where she goes and what she does, of course I do. But I trust a lot of people around here in town, because it’s such a great place and everyone knows everyone. So I’m not too worried when she tells me she’s going to a friend’s house. Oh my goodness, yeah, we can definitely skip over those. I don’t think I’ll be ready for those for a while. That’s the goal. And everything seems to come in waves.

That sort of makes the whole 'it takes a village' phrase all the more real, doesn't it? Knowing that she really does have a huge village of people surrounding her who care about her and want to do everything that they can to try to make her life a little easier. And yours, too! Absolutely helps when they have each other as friends, and you guys do, too, as parents. There are! Although I feel like you hear more horror stories about them than you do good news? So I think I'll skip those kinds of cars. You'll figure it out. Take one 'parent of a teenager' hurdle at a time, right?