teenage angst

So, we're all panicking to get ready in the morning. Since I am NOT a morning person, I sleep in until the last possible second, and then drag myself outta bed and around the house trying to wake up and make it out of the house on time. Meanwhile, there are 4 others also trying to get ready. We kinda have a routine, Pat gets up and often starts my bath for me, (I know, very sweet - but really it's mostly so I have to get up and turn off the water before it floods the bathroom, and then - well then I'm up) He (or me on my way to the bathroom) bang on bedroom doors "c'mon everyone! UP! UP! UP!" and if it's me I also flick on the lights too, along to the chorus of groans and moans and "what time is it?" ...just an aside, I once upon a time had visions of what my life would look like when I was a grown up mother. I would be sweet, even early in the morning, and I would quietly tiptoe into their rooms and wake them up with kisses and gentle hugs and have hot chocolate waiting for them. Hmmm, I don't think that has ever happened. EVER. Anyway.....back to the morning routine: So after we're all completely and unavoidably awake, the madness begins. I like to cocoon myself in my own little drowsy world and not take too much notice of the rest of them. but they intrude now and again ... "MOM! where are my socks? MOM! where's the milk? Are we OUTTA MILK?! MOM! Can you do my hair for me? MOM! MOM!" I do try really hard to ignore them. I pretend to not know who "MOM" is. If I do it right, eventually it turns to DAD instead, and then my morning-world is better again. for a short time. The kids have actually become quite proficient at getting their own breaky and making their own lunches. Even Josh, and he's always the very first one ready with his ski pants and boots on, waiting at the door for 10 minutes until it's time to go. But honestly, it does get worse as they get older. My pre-teen/soon to be teenager/ daughter very often develops this teenage angst stuff about 10 minutes before we all have to madly dash out the door. Often it's the hair. sometimes the clothes/shoes. and sometimes, like the other day, I haven't a foggy clue. She was quite "put out" since the mad morning rush began. I couldn't figure it out, nor had I the time to be honest. I finally stopped and looked her in her lovely grumpy face, and told her, "you are so much prettier when you smile, darling". her response? "What is there to smile about? Nothing." my response, "Well, now sweetie, there's lots to smile about. The obvious reasons for starters, you've got food, clothes, loving parents, ahem..." her response. "My life is terrible. There is nothing happy about it. Its just horrible. (uh oh, here the tears start) My friends are crazy, and I'm so stressed out! I'm having such a bad day!" And of course this is as we are all trying to get out the door, with 0 minutes to spare. I couldn't even take the time to reassure her, like my fantasy mother would. Pretty much I had to tell her to suck it up and get to school. Fast forward to after school. We all get home, I'm imagining that she'll be in her funk and we'll have to spend some time debriefing after her horrid day. I walk in the door, and I'm greeted with a bubbly, cheerful, "Hi mom! Guess what we did today?" and she proceeded to tell me all the wonderful things about her day and how she and her friends had SOOO much fun, etc etc etc. I very tentatively ask her if she'd like to talk about the morning, and she looks at me blankly, and when she finally remembers all her angst, she just blithely says, "Oh, that! Naw, I had a really good day!" and off she went to practice her piano. Well. That's that I suppose. On to supper.