A definite low in my relationship with the teen.

The teen spat on me last night.

The husband and I had a showdown with him yesterday about doing his homework. Basically, we explained that if he kept on refusing to do anything in his classes he would find himself doing nothing in any other part of his life, either. He would go to school and come home, and that would be it. No TV, no computer, no friends, no music, no phone, no games, nothing.

The husband also made it clear that he and I are united and that if I tell the teen to do something it is the same as if the husband had told him to do it.

We spent over an hour on this. It didn't start out well, because the teen spat on me almost immediately. It quickly went down hill with him swearing and threatening and generally being as nasty as he could think to be. The husband and I wound up standing practically nose to nose with the teen, shoulder to shoulder, jumping in for one another whenever the teen would start to take advantage of a chink in someone's armor.

He'd make a great lawyer. His debating skills make it a little difficult to get through to him, though.

He spat at me to make the point that I am not allowed to be in his life. He didn't like that I was involved in this, or the fact that our unity made it almost impossible for him to manipulate either of us.

We were moderately successful, though. Today he came home from school, showed us his completed schoolwork, then threw it across the room. He's sulking downstairs now, feeling vastly mistreated by life, no doubt.

His egocentricity right now is truly breath-taking. He actually had the nerve, after spitting on me, to ask that I do a load of laundry for him.

Let me get this straight. As he sees it, I can't ask him any questions about his life, can't assign him any chores, can't ask him to help out, can't make any demands on him whatsoever. I am expected to just do his laundry, cook his meals, give him money, drive him places, and buy him things.

Yeah, right.

27 months until he graduates from high school. I sure hope he grows up a little before then.

Heck, I hope he graduates.