My kids...

Last week, due to President's Day and a Black History Month presentation, I wasn't able to meet up with my teens. I don't think that I realized how much I enjoyed spending time with them until I had a week without them and found myself really missing them. I'd like to think that they were as excited to see me on Monday as I was to see them. As the weather was absolutely gorgeous, we took a walk along the 3rd Street Promenade, a pedestrian mall in central Santa Monica. While I had to rein in their enthusiasm for greeting friends and shopping (my only real rule was that we would by no means enter stores), they seemed happy to be outside and getting some activity.

A few days ago, a friend who grew up in the area warned me that Santa Monica teens "grow up faster than teens from other places". While I try to encourage wholesome language and topics of conversation, I was occasionally surprised by the mature content of their conversation while we were out walking. However, the sweetness under their rough exteriors actually takes me aback more. While they may seem tough and slightly jaded, they truly want to please and be good kids. I am seriously going to miss them when I leave in a couple months...