Hot days, growing up and being a mom…and a Vampire…

Summer is here. I know it is only May 11, but when it is 90F outside it is summer to me.

The teens need shorts and summer shirts NOW. There are sales. We have time. But it is so hot and bright and not a good time for Vampires to go shopping (remember, this is a Vampire parenting blog. If you’re looking for Werewolves or other kind of parenting Google it).

I keep thinking all I want for Mother’s Day is a cool dry dark place I can hide in for a while.

Online shopping is great but the kids need to try things on to make sure everything looks perfect. Perfection is key when you’re 17 and 13. Especially with Vampire kids who are naturally a little bit more vain than other kids. They don’t show it, but believe me, we’re a vain lot. It is in our blood…(just an expression.) After several hours at Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Delia’s, PacSun and a dozen other stores we found almost everything.

Malls are interesting, especially the big ones. OK they aren’t. We never eat there. Heads turn to look at Garrett who is as handsome as his dad, which is on a scale of one to ten he is a 27. Garrett is also charming with a quick smile and a way to catch people in the eye and make them melt with his charm. Clara will soon be taking on the same traits (I hope later than sooner). I tone down the Vampire thing by getting into busy and tired and HOT mode.

I hate being too hot more than just about anything.

So we’re driving out the back way (to avoid traffic) and laughing with the kids, and suddenly I panic knowing that they’ll soon be off to college and grown and I only have a few more years left. It makes my heart break. I never tried to keep them sheltered or babies or hover too much, but now the idea of letting my birdies actually fly out of the nest and build their own nests is hard.

We got home (after I tell them that I will NEVER shop with them during the day again).

Garrett worked on the Tux he was borrowing from his dad for the Jr. Prom. He’ll be taking his friend Ione. They’re both wearing black with touches of royal blue. He told me that he and Ione would always be friends. He knew that because they’re both Vampires and Vampires are always friends.

Almost always. The kids asked me if I had any kind of prom or coming out when I was their age.

“Almost. But no, some bad things happened with my best friend and we called off all festivities for about a year.”

They knew what I was talking about, the year my best friend turned my brother’s best friend into a Vampire and almost killed him. She went rogue. The friend almost didn’t recover and we all became more serious for a while, until we thought it was safe to trust ourselves again.

“Did you and Uncle Val get into as much trouble as everyone says?” asked Clara.

“And then some.” I had to smile. We did have fun.

Times change along with society, but we all grow up with the help of our parents. We rediscover the world with our teens. That is the beauty of having kids – as they grow older, we can, if even for a bit, grow younger.

We’re off to see Ironman 3 at an old porno theater that has been turned into a trendy Imax theater. It will be dark and cool and I’ll have the entire evening with my babies.

No matter if they’re now both taller than I am, they’ll still be my babies.