Apparently, We’re Parents! Kensi’s Journal 12/4/22

Deeks and I have only been parents for a handful of months, and we’ve already taught Rosa the beginnings of what she needs to know about living safely with two federal agents.  I met with her academic advisor, and we got her an algebra tutor.  One (or both) of us is available to help with homework every day.  Deeks makes sure Rosa has a good, if rushed, breakfast before school and a healthy lunch to keep her going all day long.  He also helped nurse her through the flu last week, and I am currently chaperoning our girl and two dozen of her classmates in our nation’s capital.  There’s no way to just ease into this parenting gig, is there?

Throughout this trip I feel like I’ve been walking a fine line between being the cool mom and embarrassing Rosa so badly that she wishes she was back home with the flu again.  It’s had me so off kilter that I nearly broke down in the restroom during our tour of the Capitol Building.  And then something amazing happened.  One of the other mothers who is chaperoning said she feels the same way pretty much every day.  Apparently fluctuating between being wonderful and a nightmare is the definition of being the parent of a teenager.

Deeks is clearly taking the title of parent seriously as well, since he decided not to go to Costa Rica on NCIS’s dime.  Between my time away for the refresher course, and now the trip to DC, we haven’t had a lot of time lately to be together, all three of us.  I think Daddy Deeks just wants to be sure we’re doing right by Rosa, and sometimes that means giving up a surfing work trip to Nosara to stay home and spend that time with her instead.  Who knows, maybe we’ll end up surfing with our daughter in LA some time that week.  If I know my husband (and I do), that would completely make up for passing up an all-expenses-paid trip to Central America.