Crime and Punishment

Baby girl cannot get away with this.

That's what I said to myself when I woke up the next morning.  She'd never really been in trouble before, except a couple times when she was accidentally late for the school bus - but man, what a way to get in trouble, by throwing the wildest party this side of AJ and Imsety. There was even a bartender there.  A bartender!!!
That told me this party had been in the works for some time.  That took serious planning. 

Andy and I had to come up with a punishment that would tell Skylar that she wasn't supposed to do it, and she'd have consequences for doing it, consequences she'd actually feel.
"Mmm," he mused as he tore into his slice of bacon, "this is delicious."
"Sure is, dad," replied Skylar.
"Your mother and I are very, very disappointed with your behavior. Not just last night with the party, but recently, and especially with the party. We know you do well in school and you do your sing-a-grams and performances locally. So when she and I were discussing punishment options, several things came up..."

Andy came up with his part of the punishment, that she'd have to accompany us on our camping trip next weekend - no questions asked, no excuses, not even her "I've got a show" excuse or "I've got something for school" excuse.  She'd have to come.

But mine was a little more straightforward and to the point. 
"Skylar, I realize you're in the running for prom queen, but you're not going to your prom, you'll be on our family camping trip -"
"Mom!"
"Oh, and as for glee club and drama club, you're not going to any more meetings until further notice - and your foreign exchange trip to France, you're not going there either -"
"Mom, you can't do that, the tickets are nonrefundable! I already paid my deposit!"
"And you're grounded until further notice -"
Skylar stormed away from the table and out of the front door.

 

"That went over well, didn't it?" Andy mused.

"Like a lead brick," I replied.