STEP-BLOG-MOMS OF THE WORLD UNITE

Aspen turns 10 in 2 weeks. No longer a hemoginous child she somehow has become a woman in waiting. And seeing that I have never been able to make heads or tails of the female species, I fret for what kind of woman she will end up growing into on my watch. With no mom in her daily life to teach her about all the essential 'female' knowledge I can't help but think she will be a boat without a rudder in ever increasingly dagerous waters. Forget the obvious 'chick' products that are just around the corner. It goes without saying I'm not a beacon of light for her in that arena. What is of more concern for me is teaching her about behavior. 'Signals', for one thing. Again, I am completely illiterate when it comes to reading dames. Seeing that it does not come naturally to me to read signals, I am presuming that it doesn't come naturally to someone to give them off... or more importantly, to refrain from giving them off! She is a very trusting being at this point. Perhaps just a bit shy and a tad unsure of herself socially. But alarmingly, I have seen her in certain settings where she will attach herself to a stranger's side (a male stranger... an older male stranger). The recent time was when we took the dog to a fenced dog run. Right away she struck up a conversation with one of the dog owners about his pet. 15 minutes later I noticed she was sitting on a bench still talking to the guy. Nothing against the guy. He was just being nice, I'm confident. But we all know there are times when a guy is going to not only misread but will take action on such social cues. This is just the tip of the iceberg as to what I fear I might either innocently neglect to instruct my daughter on or not even be aware of the fact that there is something I should be instructing her on. On a lighter, but not totally dissimilar note, Aspen got her first 'makeover' yesterday. At a Clinique counter. Apparently she has skin type 1. There are different skin types? See? See what she's up against with me at the helm? So she is no longer to use soap on her face. She is to use a 'cleanser'. Okay... since when isn't soap a 'cleanser' anymore? And there is a difference between a 'lotion' and 'moisturizer'? Can't she just use alcohol wipes to clean her face like I did when I was young? Does anyone want to recommend a 'cleanser' and 'moisturizer' that doesn't require a layaway plan for a 2.5 ounce bottle?