enter the red dragon

My daughter has crossed to the other side of being female. 

I walked in to her room one night to announce bed time had arrived. 

She was in a very deep conversation with her 10 year old brother. 

He left to go to his room and looked at me with an expression that was just bizarre. 

Ah…good night son? I turn to my daughter. 

My daughter said I think I got my period. 

Okay - go the bathroom and we will establish that is true. 

I ask when did this start? 

Yesterday. 

Why didn’t you tell me. 

Well I told my brother. 

Your 10 year old brother!? PERFECT. That makes complete sense. 

Then I had to explain hygiene to a girl that finds it challenging to rinse all the conditioner out of her hair and wear deodorant.

I am not sure if tweens have a sense of smell. My daughter goes to school without wearing deodorant on occasion. When I picked her up, she got in the car and smelled like there were rotten onions in her armpits. And she is SHOCKED that I say you did not wear deodorant. I don’t think I have a particularly good sense of smell but HOW CAN THEY NOT SMELL EACH OTHER? I guess because the majority of them smell revolting?! 

I have turned into the mom who throws out your appearance is a reflection of me! And don’t even get me started on dirty fingernails. My daughter figured out if she kept her nails painted I could not see the repulsive amount of dirt and paint that have permanent residence under her finger nails. In spite of myself, I applaud her problem solving skills.