Noodle's Date

"I have to talk to you, Spartacus"

This is how Skippy greeted me as she walked through the door this afternoon after returning from the beach with the family in tow. She had some news to share with me about our girl Noodle.



Her words barely registered with me. I was too busy reading about all the fabulous "Kick Ass Blogger" awards being tossed about.

"Noodle wants to know if she can go to the movies alone with Joe."

SCREEEEEEEECH!!!!!!! BANG!

Now Skippy had my attention. "So what do you think, Spart. Should we let her go?"

I took my time responding to the question. I was ill-prepared for this eventuality despite having said on several occasions that I would not freak out. All of a sudden I was having visions of my little girl hanging out with some boy I never met who would probably try and do things to her that I tried doing to girls when I was 16.



But there she was leaning on the banister to the steps leading upstairs staring at me with those soulful eyes, begging me to respond with a yes. I fought off that demon Dad in me. You know. The one that automatically says no whenever the subject of boys comes up?

"Sure Skip. I don't see what the big deal is." I responded.

"Thank you Daddy!" Noodle said to me, but before she went bounding up the stairs, the inner shot-gun toting, protective Dad in me came to the fore. I had to ask a question.

Me: Hey Noodle. Will we get to meet Joe at some point?

Noodle: Mommy! Daddy's being mean!

I took that as a yes.

Epilogue:

She came home at about 11 o'clock tonight after taking in Batman: The Dark Night. Skippy went to pick her up when it was over. When I asked Noodle how her date went, she gave a terse, "Fine," and went off to her room to IM her BFFs about her night.

Skippy came in after her. "It looks like this could get serious. He paid for her ticket."

That was all I needed to know.

Update: I thought adding this YouTube video to the post might be appropriate: