Are All Teen’s Insaine or Just Mine?

I love my son Gavin. I really do. We have so much fun together. He makes me laugh more than any other person I know. He also has the ability to exasperate me quicker than anyone I know. Yesterday, I had him come to the school with me to pick up the little ones. After a series of Why? (because it gives us a chance to talk with out TV or comps in front of us) and assurances that he wouldn’t have to actually exit the car he agreed. I knew that I had the day off and thought we could have take out to celebrate. I asked him..and only him what he wanted.  His response, his STANDARD response..”I’m not hungry. Just go anywhere”. UGH. Ive been through this his whole life. I go to the restaurant, he says hes not hungry, I don’t get him anything and as soon as we get home he says..”Did you get any thing for me?” So, for about a year, he says,”I’m not hungry” and I pick up an extra cheeseburger, cheese sticks or something I think he’ll like and he always…ALWAYS eats it. Well, yesterday I said. “I’m not going to get you anything if you’re not hungry ! I’m really not! Decide right now and that’s where we’ll go.”  He said. “I’m NOT hungry. Just get what the boys want.”  So, I went to Windy City Subs…Gavin got sullen in the car. He said” You know I hate this place. Why did you come here???” I said WHAT??? He said,” If you know I always say I don’t want something and when we get there I always do. Why do you chose a place I hate????”  OH MY GOD! So, I say…OK what do you want? Do you want tacos? (millions of taco places around here) NO!..McDonald’s? NO! Mickey’s? NO What then?? Name anyplace…NO…so I drove home…in silence and he ate home made nachos…

Today, found us out bright and early for a Christmas Shopping Day…He said “Could you stop for coffee?” I said sure…From where? “Anywhere I don’t care… ”  OOOOKKKAAAYYY…here we go again… I stopped at a cute little coffee house located and owned by Trinity Christian College. Pulled into the lot and got….!!!!!! “Why are we here??”  It’s a coffeehouse. Go get your coffee. “No, I’m not going in there. I’ve never been here.”  UGH…I pull out and ask him McDonald’s or Starbucks? He said…”Whatever…” So, I drive past Starbucks toward McDonald’s and he looked over his shoulder and said…”I would have liked the Starbucks!!!” ACCKKK! So…pull a U-Turn and pull in at Starbucks (located inside Dominicks) and get “What? Why are we here?” This is a Starbucks!!! Walk in, it’s on the immediate right of the door…His response..”.YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME? I thought it was a drive through!!!” He went in and asked for a large peppermint coffee…”Ummm sir, we don’t have those here this is an Express Starbucks”..so then I’ll have a large regular coffee..they said “OK, but we don’t have large we have vente and we don’t have regular we do have some Christmas Cheer.” “Do you want Christmas in your coffee?.” “Christmas IN my coffee?” “Yes sir and do you want the vente?”  Gavin said…”LAAARRRGGEEE…” I could feel his eyes boring into mine through the concrete walls.

The thing is. Neither one of us was even slightly miffed by these events. We just turn them into a joke. We understand each other. We only seem bizzare to everyone around us.