First Jobs and Febreze Frenzies

So the oldest boy has his first job this summer. I know he's thrilled for the income potential, but all I see is my itty, bitty baby boy growing up. Hubby and I were talking last night and I realized: He's graduating in two years. (Oldest boy, not husband. That would make me a jail-worthy cougar.) Wait a gosh darn minute. I'm not ready to be a college kid's mom. I'm barely qualified to be a six year old's mom!

His job is at the amusement park up the road, and honestly, it's a good first job to have. It's conveniently located and they require a ton of employees to run everything so he doesn't have to worry about "down sizing". At least until the park closes and by then, school will be back in session and he can get back to his real job: Being a high school student who gets good grades so that he can earn a ton of scholarships and save his parents some money on sending him to college. (Basically we want him to be the human equivalent of Geico insurance and save us 15% on college expenses!)

Add the piece de resistance: It's in the games section. Yes, my super theatrical son gets to be a giant goof ball to attract people to play these games and he actually gets paid for it. He has his dream job. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that this is going to spoil the real world for him, when his adult "real" job contains boring things like meetings and three piece suits and matching ties. Maybe an excellent paying suit and tie job would take some of the sting out of it. (I know I'd wear a suit and tie to work if someone wanted to pay me well!)

The only problem with this job is that it's outside. I don't know how many of you have teenage boys (or even pre-teen boys) but they have a certain odor, a funk if you will. It's Eau de Teenage Boy and it kind of smells like feet and the inside of a NFL locker room. At least ours does. So now I'm thinking, "Hmmm, I wonder how intense this smell is going to become after spending 5 hours in 85 degree weather?" I think I might want to buy him a "Congrats on Passing 10th Grade" gift. One that consists of multiple types of deodorant, sneaker odor eaters, and body spray. Hey, if you can't beat 'em, might as well cover it in a heavy blanket of scented materials, right?

If you think this any sort of exaggeration, let me relay this conversation between the husband and myself this morning:
Hubby: We need to get some air freshener. Like Febreze.
Me: For what?
Hubby: For oldest boy's room. It stinks in there.

Keep in mind that my husband has a less sensitive nose than I do. I've been told it's a woman thing. We can smell a fart before it even is released into the air, that's how keen our sense of smell is. There have been times that my husband hasn't been able to smell the dog when he needs a bath, even after three days of my complaining about it. So for him to smell the smell in the boy's room? There's probably something dead somewhere. Which makes me think that when/if we ever do get to the point of selling the house and have to show it to people, we're going to have to make the oldest live in a tent in the back yard. Just to eliminate the stink. Either that or I should start buying stock in Febreze right now. Or how about I clothe the boy in clothing that I'm made especially for him that contains hangable car air fresheners in hidden pockets that I've sewn in.

Eh, who am I kidding? That sounds like a lot of work. Tent in the back yard it is.