Happy 13th birthday Princess!

Happy birthday my darling daughter! We’ve survived another year of your life together. I say that somewhat tongue in cheek, but this was probably my most volatile year of parenting you.

Dear Daughter as you turn 13,

This past year has been interesting. It’s fun to have a 12 year old. There are things you can say and do with a 12 year old, that I wouldn’t consider ever doing with a 9 year old. We got to have great discussions about politics, religion, history, books.

You still have the black and white view of childhood, but I’m starting to see the cracks as your thinking becomes more abstract.

I’ve introduced you to all manner of fun movies and musicals this past year because you’re finally old enough. It’s quite fun, we’ve been having a blast listening to a carefully edited playlist of Six! The Musical (let’s face it Catherine Howard’s song is not something I need to play for my daughter), and enjoying great discussions about all of the politics involved.

 

But let’s look ahead to the future!

You’re not excited to turn 13. You don’t want to turn into a teenager, and you really don’t want to grow up. I get that.

This face, it’s a face I see all the time right now. I am apparently very embarrassing to have as a Mom with my penchant to randomly burst into song or dance (very bad), and you do not find my randomly taking pictures amusing. You want to approve every picture before it goes up on any form of social media.

I try to always remember this. We have lots of discussions about boundaries now.

It’s fun to see you putting your thoughts into words and other things.

I can’t wait to see how this year unfolds. You are working through a lot of ideas. You’re trying to figure out your place in this world, and how your black and white views fit into a world that is a series of grays.

You have an amazingly large and loyal circle of friends. Last year for your birthday party, you deliberately made a choice to have a smaller birthday party, but worried how to best do that without hurting feelings. I’m excited to see what happens this year. The last you were talking, was a plan to have a bigger group for the afternoon, and have a few sleepover.

We’ll see. You still have to plan it.

I’m still praying you find/make that good friend at church. I’ve been sad since your friends left the youth group, but you’ve soldiered on and kept coming. You’re making progress with new friends, but none of them yet are who you turn to when I’m driving crazy.

Yes, I am well aware you probably text your friends when I’m crazy.

I totally text my friends when you’re crazy.

You are expanding your skills in all sorts of amazing ways.

Take this photograph. When we went up to visit your Aunt Tara, you made sure we took a picture with all of us holding the baby, so you could edit it together so it looks like we were all holding her. It’s a pretty impressive bit of editing for a first time to really do something like this.

Keep working at it, and I’m pretty sure you could have a job doing this.

Or your writing.

I’ve been so proud of your persistence with NaNoWriMo. I know it’s stressing you out, but you are working so hard, and you probably will beat your word count goal for the year.

By contrast, I’m pretty sure I won’t make my word count.

Focus Ticia, focus is always a problem for me.

You by contrast, have amazing focus. It’s not something I was expecting from you when you were younger. I’m pretty sure when you were six, I would have labeled you as my most distractible kid.

Now you are my most focused kid, for 25 minutes.

But as soon as that timer goes off you are outside and on the swing set.

For five minutes. You are quite precise with that timer and do not willingly give up a single second of your time outside.

While there are times I miss my little cutey with the big grin. I do love my crazy obnoxious wild over the top 13 year old.

Yes, I deliberately left out every single one of the commas that should have been in the description.

I’m sure once you read this, you’re eye will be twitching.

That’s okay.

I did it on purpose to make your eye twitch.

I’ll also confess my eye is twitching a little bit, but it also feels right to describe it all in one quick breath.

That’s who you are.

I love you my girl.

Happy Birthday!

 

More Birthday Wishes for the Girl!

Okay, these really have almost nothing to do with her birthday posts in order, but I apparently don’t have a picture to go with each one for a nice little square. Sadness.

• 12th birthday
• 11th birthday
• 10th birthday
• 9th birthday
• 8th birthday (still missing 🙁 I should make one up)
• 7th birthday
• 6th birthday
• 5th birthday
• 4th birthday (I also share with you “This is Bolt“)
• 3rd birthday