We love short shorts ... Not

I know over 40 years ago my grandma was removing the hem from my mom's skirts so that they'd be longer even though short skirts and showing off your leg was the new "in" thing. My mom, to this day, still complains about how Grandma had to go and ruin her skirts. "What's the big deal with a leg, anyway," she says.

Well, now here I am, wanting to take the hem out of my 14-year-old's new shorts that are "in" because they show off too much of her legs. Every time we shop for summer clothes, the shorts seem to get shorter and shorter and I'm too old school for that, so I only buy her ones that have some length to them, not much I admit, but at least something. Until recently, I thought I was doing what was appropriate yet still letting her think she was in style.

Wrong! She's decided to take those shorts with "some" length and roll those puppies up so they are just as short as the ones in the store.

The first time I caught her was when I picked her up from school on one of our nice days and she come waltzing out of the building with her new shorts on all rolled up, not at all resembling the shorts I purchased. I immediately asked her, "Why ya got yer shorts all rolled up there, Sis?" "Oh, I got hot," she claims. Ya right! The highest the temperate got that day was 60, so I'm guessing it wasn't the heat. Try again.

Instead of making a big deal, I politely asked her to keep them rolled down and then reminded her of the reasons why boys like short shorts and that she had nice, long legs and that the more coverage the better and so on and so on. She agreed but tried to explain to me her side about how all the shorts these days are shorter and how even in the magazines, the girls wear them rolled, that's it's just a fashion trend and how it's all totally innocent. Then she said, "I don't know what the big deal is about my legs anyway, they're just legs."

Instantly I envisioned my Grandma removing the hem from my mom's skirt, all those years ago, probably thinking the same exact thing I was thinking right then. Oh if our girls knew what effect a regular ol' leg has on teenage boys.

Anyway, now that's it's been nice outside, she's sporting the shorts again. Each pair seems to get rolled up, sometimes once, sometimes twice too many.

I've been nagging her about it, so she thinks she's being sneaky and keeping them rolled down at home and then rolling them back up at school. She thinks I don't know but I've busted her. So, instead of nagging, I've resorted to threatening. I've threatened that if she keeps rolling the shorts up to nothing, then either myself or her dad, is going to show up to school or practice in our own version of short shorts. I've seen stories of other parents who've done it and I think it's a great idea!

She laughs, thinking we're kidding but what she doesn't know, is we are most certainly NOT kidding. In fact, I've already picked out what shorts we'll wear. I'm thinking we'll try it out at home first, ya know, just come downstairs ready to go out to eat in our rolled up short shorts and see what reaction we get from her. Maybe we'll even drive to the restaurant with her so she knows the lengths we're willing to go. Not sure yet, but the day is coming.

The thought of actually carrying out our threat sort of embarrasses me as I really don't want to be seen in short shorts at my age but I'm pleased to say, that on the other hand, Hubby is not afraid of being embarrassed and is eager to prove a point.

So, if you see an obnoxious couple walking around in short shorts, with three girls hesitantly trailing behind them, you'll know what's gone down.

Somebody didn't listen and decided that rolling her shorts up and looking cute was worth the risk.