Stupid Girl

I thought I was doing a reasonable job with mes filles. It turns out that hasn't been the case.

Yesterday was a new low.

It began with a phone call from the volleyball coach asking for the location of MonAnge. Never a good question for a maman to hear. Both girls had been given permission to go to the local café for some café (by Fun Daddy as I have been having issues with MonAnge). Après le café the girls would go to volleyball. Only one girl showed up. Imelda.

So Fun Daddy and I began our quest. We checked the coffeeshop, at Frieda's house and then we headed to the park. I don't like her going to the park with her friends. They are too old for the swings, too small to join the basketball game and they don't play tennis. And hanging out without parental guidance is not my idea of a good idea. Naturally, the lust for the park is high around here.

And there she was. With Frieda. And Quito. And the POLICE!

Yes, you read that correctly.

I flew from the car as Fun Daddy looked for a place to park and made my way to where MonAnge stood.

"Excuse me, officers. This is my daughter. What did she do?"

And this is what I was told.

My idiot daughter was caught writing on a slide. Her name. She was wearing her school uniform and her school sweatshirt that has the school's name on it... and she wrote her first name (which is unique at school). Frieda wrote her name as well. and Quito? His name and some bad language.

Vandalism is a felony in Illinois.

They got off easy. Banned from the park. A warning. A contact card. So the next time they get picked up the police call me directly. charming. A record at the police station. I have never been more proud. or embarrassed. or ashamed

I took the three of them home and spoke to the parents. Frieda got dropped off at her mother's office. Her mother works for the Alderman. Who was in the office. So it turns out to be a personal AND professional humiliation. Quito, his parents are divorced and he is allowed to pretty much do as he pleases because no one is supervising him. He was dropped off with a friend of his mother's and I called her later. Why? I figured that he would lie to her. And it turns out that he did. After driving in the car with me and listening to me scream at them, you would think that he would have guessed how pissed off I was and how likely it was for me to follow up. Truly a foolish boy.

Needless to say she is grounded. And Frieda and Quito are persona non grata Chez Maman.

I am miserable. I can't figure out how to make that girl use her brain. She knew that it was the wrong thing to do... but she went along anyway.

What stupid choice is next?

Crack? Sex? Armed robbery?

I need to find a prayer to St. Matilda, the patron saint of disappointing children.

I the meantime, I am considering changing MonAnge's name for this blog to Velna or
Lillith...Those seem more appropriate to me at the moment.