It's Official

We have officially hit the "teen" years.

A splash of maturity...in a glass full of immaturity.

A time to experience...without an ounce of experience.

Actually, it happened about 6 months ago but I didn't notice any difference until a few months ago.  Let's be honest, I didn't really even notice.  My first born is a son.  Do they ever really mature and how the heck would I be able to tell the difference when it does happen? 

While at a neighborhood get together, sometime in May, the news was dropped like a bomb.  I know, I'm being dramatic.  But it was there that a in-the-know friend whispered, across a table full of empties, what the rest of the neighborhood seemed to already know. 

"Did you guys hear?" leaning in, loudly whispering for effect.  "Evan and Katie are DATING!"  My hands immediately flew to my mouth to stifle the high pitched "WHAAAAT?!?!?!" that was flying out. Couth?    Out the window.  I instantly looked across the table to catch the response of the other equally-as-shocked looking people sitting there paralyzed and bug-eyed.  Katie's parents.  That's right, we are all friends, we are all neighbors and we hang out all the time.  Our Evan and their Katie have been friends since Kindergarten.

Manic thoughts began running through my mind like...Who said they could "date"? and What does it mean when they say "date"? and Don't they have to get our permission to "date"? afterall, they have to ask permission to go over to each others houses, why wouldn't they need it to "date"?

Our friend was not finished, there was more to this breaking story.  This involved (overbearing), inquisitive (nosey) and loving (smothering) mother wasn't sure she could take any more.  The friend then admitted, "they've been dating for over a week but kept it a secret because they said they knew how you would react."  My mouth was still gaping, jaw on the table.  Out of it came intermittant "wooowwwws!! reeeaalllyyys?? and no waayyys!!" as the story unfolded. 

Where did she get this top secret information you ask?  Her son, one of the older neighbor boys, spilled the beans.  Did I mention he's my new found SPY buddy?

Of course I needed to clarify the situation with my just-barely teenage boy.  As I cornered him I asked (drilled), "What do you mean you and Katie are "dating"?!  How did you and Katie decide to start dating when two months ago you were hardly speaking to each other and couldn't stand one another?"  Was there some sort of transition into teenhood cue that I missed?  The not-being-able-to-stand-your-female-neighbor-before-you-start-dating-her stage?  "I don't know, it just happened", he replied dryly.  Like it was no big deal. 

So continues the "dating" (texting back and forth) that has been going on constantly since about March.  In the meantime, his best friend and her best friend have began "dating" as well and the foursome have had an inseparable summer thusfar.  I try to remind myself that these are the best years of their life blah, blah, blah, but it's still hard to fathom that Evan liked someone enough to start "dating" then kept it a secret from me, of all people.  No, I'm not delusional, I know I'm the last person he wants to tell anything.  In denial....maybe lol

I still wonder how I did not see this one coming, I guess my first clue should have been the 4000+ texts that Evan and Katie wracked up while we were on vacation for 2.5 weeks in April...