This is Thirteen

When I was a kid in elementary school, middle school made me nervous and high school terrified me. When I actually reached those milestones, they didn't turn out to be as bad as I'd thought. They weren't easy by any means, but I was able to handle things.

Right before a new school year my kids always get nervous. The new grade always sounds so much harder than the old comfortable grade they were in. We do a lot of talking about those butterflies and I've always told them that the new grade is harder because they are ready for it to be.

There's a lot of doom talk about teenagers. I even admit to buying into it. The thought of raising teenagers has made me pretty nervous in the past. But lately I've realized that it's not really that much different. Last night I put a 12 year old to bed and woke up a 13 year old, but she's really not that much different than the kid she was last week.

The day before her birthday she "dressed like a kid" in preparation for not being one anymore.

Sure, there are changes that come with getting older. Hormones come into play. More cognitive abilities and different reasoning abilities emerge. She's growing and getting older, but that's the whole point of life, isn't it? These changes don't usually happen overnight. They are gradual and sometimes we don't even notice them.

Baby's first selfie on her new phone!

Like how Frances runs laundry for me now. Sometimes I don't even have to ask. Her basket gets full and she swaps out the loads. She's been doing dishes too. Don't get excited, it's not a daily occurrence, but she volunteers often enough to take a load off me.

She still fights with her brothers, leaves her socks under the table, and rolls her eyes when I remind her to brush her hair. Some things change and some things stay the same! Even her birthday interview was cute because of all the answers I recognized from previous years.

1. What is your favorite color? light blue
2. What is your favorite toy/thing to play with? snuggling with my blankets
3. What is your favorite fruit? grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? Henry Danger
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Ramen noodles
6. What is your favorite outfit? My Harry Potter uniform
7. What is your favorite game? Clue
8. What is your favorite snack? peanuts
9. What is your favorite animal? horses
10. What is your favorite song? Cake by the Ocean by DNCE

11. What is your favorite book? Harry Potter
12. Who is your best friend? Desirae and Jocelyn
13. What is your favorite cereal? Mini Wheats
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? pretend I"m in the wilderness
15. What is your favorite drink? root beer
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Puppy and Beary
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? eggs and bacon

She had to settle for emoji pancakes this morning.

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? fried chicken, Brussels sprouts with bacon, artichokes, and fried okra (we managed everything but the fried okra)

Henry hugged her 13 times. You might think it's because he loves her, but really it's because he was excited about her choices for her birthday dinner!

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? a vet