Today, Juniorette is 16 and every bit as bright-eyed, beautiful and fun as she was at 4 1/2 months. Nine months ago, I pulled her away from everything she'd ever known, worried how she'd do in a new house, a new town, a new school. I'm so proud of her for having made a nearly seamless transition--she rolled with the changes and, in fact, is thriving in our new community and her new school. She's in her 7th year of orchestra (viola) and picked up the guitar last summer. She's in her third year of Spanish, her first year of Chinese, and next year, she's adding German to the mix! She's even managing to get through her much-dreaded sophomore Oral Comm class, thanks to a teacher who understands how difficult it is for her.
When I was 16, my life was all about my jackass boyfriend who gave me a pre-pre engagement ring for my 16th birthday. I was shy, lacking in confidence and had already experienced bouts of depression. For those of you who have or work with teens, you'll understand how wonderful it is to have a teen daughter who has good self-esteem, whose identity isn't tied to her peers', and who still talks to me.
We had her birthday celebration yesterday with homemade pizza, "Chocolate Dessert," and lots of movies. We watched a vintage Steve Martin/Saturday Night Live DVD--stuff that was super hot when I was her age. She found "Two Wild and Crazy Guys" and "Theodoric of York" as funny as I did almost 30 years ago. It was stuff that I watched and loved when I was her age, with the people who would eventually become her aunt and uncle and father. She reciprocated by showing me an anime she'd just discovered. She may have gotten a much-coveted DS Lite for her birthday, but the day I had with her yesterday was a pretty decent gift, too.
Happy Birthday, Monkey! (also known as Olivia)
When I was 16, my life was all about my jackass boyfriend who gave me a pre-pre engagement ring for my 16th birthday. I was shy, lacking in confidence and had already experienced bouts of depression. For those of you who have or work with teens, you'll understand how wonderful it is to have a teen daughter who has good self-esteem, whose identity isn't tied to her peers', and who still talks to me.
We had her birthday celebration yesterday with homemade pizza, "Chocolate Dessert," and lots of movies. We watched a vintage Steve Martin/Saturday Night Live DVD--stuff that was super hot when I was her age. She found "Two Wild and Crazy Guys" and "Theodoric of York" as funny as I did almost 30 years ago. It was stuff that I watched and loved when I was her age, with the people who would eventually become her aunt and uncle and father. She reciprocated by showing me an anime she'd just discovered. She may have gotten a much-coveted DS Lite for her birthday, but the day I had with her yesterday was a pretty decent gift, too.
Happy Birthday, Monkey! (also known as Olivia)
congrats 4rm a reporter turning 13 in 13 days wow it must be great to be a teen 4 3 years
Posted by: stranger | 2007.03.22 at 02:25 PM
i am addicted to my ds lite, especially animal crossing, lego star wars, cooking mama, and harvest moon!
Posted by: skully | 2007.03.15 at 06:21 PM
Whoop whoop!
P.S. I also have a DS Lite. If we are ever anywhere near each other, she and I will have to use that pictochat business!
Posted by: K.R. | 2007.03.06 at 12:44 PM
Say "Hi" to Olivia for me. My "baby's" twenty-first birthday is in 20 days. While I won't be able to be with her, I also am grateful that she is the great, self-confident young woman that she is.
Posted by: Michael Golrick | 2007.03.05 at 08:23 AM