The kids are growing up, God help me.

My son and daughter, are both starting to grow up, and they are starting to "tax" my parenting ability a bit more, first off, my daughter, Nicky is a very mature 11 years old, she is scorchingly intelligent, extremely quiet and introverted , (a dangerous combination). I have long ago, gave up on her cleaning her tomb, I mean room. But otherwise she is absolutely no trouble, and she acts more responsibly than many adults.

But I am starting to see shades of "Teenage Rebellion" brewing...Over a word. That word is...Brace yourself...

"Friken"

Yep, I was outside working in the yard, and I overheard my daughter let loose with "friken" I perked my ears up, and challenged her over the use of that word, her retort was "It's not a BAD word, Daddy" I begged to differ, she retorted that it was not "bad" and all her friends (she is a new middle schooler) use it.

I reiterated that I did not want to hear that, coming from her, unless we are crawling out from an upside down car in the ditch or she was describing the house catching fire or something. And I considered the matter closed, as she picked up "Thomas" the Tom Cat, and headed back inside.

I was very wrong...

Later that night, while eating supper, I heard her use that word again.... I was agast.... And pounced, again I challenged her, instead of arguing with ME, she turned to my beloved wife...Who much to her chagrin, promptly backed me up, and told her that she better "Hush that trash talk up"

Again her pleas of "All my friends are doing it" fell on deaf ears, as I used the timeless parental retort of "If they where jumping off a building, would you do it too??"

Again I thought the matter was closed...I was WRONG again....

The other day, we all went down to the Farm, to have a cook-out with my in-laws, it was my wife's birthday, and right their, as I was putting steaks on the grill, I heard "friken".... OMI GOD!!! She done said it AGAIN!!!!!

My beloved wife, and I, went straight into "gonna chew that butt" mode, and my wonderfully intelligent daughter tried to play the "nanny" card, and hope that grand ma, could "talk sense" into her "uncool parents"...

It was at this point she, made a gross tactical error, she had expected the "Nicky can't do no wrong, and for "Nanna and Poppie" to come riding to her rescue, but alas... Pa, from his comfortable chair, overheard the pleadings from the next room, and he boomed out

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR TALK LIKE THAT !!!!! <--Use booming "god" voice

Knowing that she had been outflanked, she sheepishly slipped out of the house, and the whole matter was dropped...Or so she hoped...

That night, after we left the farm, and went to the store, she really caught it.. Me and Momma, was quite upset about our daughter ignoring the demands to stop using that language, and then trying to get the grandparents to "pull rank" really set me off, I made reference to literally washing her mouth out with soap, and using my "plumber's helper" to really shove it in their, but than my beloved wife said, not to use bar soap, to use liquid soap, as to really clean out every nook and cranny in that filthy mouth.

Their was silence from the back seat... And again I thought the matter was closed....WRONG....

Last Friday night, me and her had to go to the Homecoming game at the local high school. She is in Choir, and they was going to sing the National Anthem. So I decided that we would stay for the duration, and watch the big homecoming game. So, as I sit next to our neighbor in the stands, my daughter finds some of her friends, and they all sit together, they just happen to be 3 rows behind us, Nicky comes down to get some money to go get a Pepsi from the concession stand, and as she is standing their, one of her friends, nearby, unleashes a "friken"....

Nicky looks at me, raises a triumphant eyebrow, and says "See Dad..." I cut her off, and say "All I hear is low class trash" that is all....

She dejectedly walks away..

I think this whole issue has finally blown over..If not, she will know what "Dial liquid" soap tastes like, all it will take is one more time.

And believe it or not, this is the girl that generally gives us ABSOLUTELY no problems, heck, she even gets perfect scores on the SOL tests..