Friday was the annual NYCHEA Field Day – sort of an end of year gathering in a park with kids playing soccer, kickball…whatever.   This year the kids had a good time as usual, but it was what happened afterward that is the subject of this post.

You guys, teenagers are awesome.

I’m not being sarcastic here; not in the least.

I’d arrived at Field Day with Maya & Ben; I left with Maya, Ben and four friends, three of whom are teenagers (and at 12 years old, the other might as well be).    Upon our arrival at our apartment, we got a message from Maya’s friend Greta, also a teenager and in school to boot, that she was heading over to our place.   Seven kids at my place:  four boys, three girls with an age range of 9 to 15.

At one point they all wound up in Ben’s room, and I would periodically hear hoots of laughter and constant chatter.  For part of the time the girls disappeared into Maya’s room while the boys played on the Wii and played Minecraft.  After dinner  the girls decided to go out to Starbucks, and the boys stayed in and played “Just Dance” on the Wii.  (How I wish I had photos of that!)

Everyone got along.  Everyone piled to the living room for tacos (snacks) and later, Chinese (dinner).  The last guest departed at around 10:30pm.

Rather than dreading the teen years, I find that I’m enjoying the kids more and more the older they get.   The teens we know – most but not all of whom are homeschooled/unschooled – are funny, creative and amazing people.  I love having them around.