13

Bob and I recently watched a movie called Thirteen. It was literally one of the scariest movies EVER. It starred that one girl who married Marilyn Manson...Rachel something or other (what was that girl thinking?). Anyway, she and her naughty 13 year old friends did all sorts of really bad things that I never even dreamed of doing at 13...nor any other age in my life, for that matter. So, thirteen wasn't looking too good to us parents-of-a-new-thirteen-year-old daughter.

But then I remembered...wait...our new 13-year old is a straight-A student. She mostly still talks to us and still smiles and laughs...a lot. She's kind to her teachers and grandparents and civil with her sisters. She's in Honor Society and and drama club and she's writing a book in her spare time. Oh yah...don't get me wrong...there are the eye-roll moments and the one facial expression (directed mostly at me) that lets me know that as her mom, I won't have any brains until she turns 26. But the odds are looking pretty good for us right now.

We know...we've heard...we've been there ourselves...the teen years aren't all roses and starlight wrapped in marshmallows, but I'd venture to say we have a pretty good foundation set. We have hope that the next few years will be ok. Maybe even great! I'll let you know in a couple years!! But for her first two days of being thirteen, it's been smooth sailing. So far so good--haha.

(teens enjoy beefcake posters of stars like Keith Urban--and apparently so do 8-year olds)

(a birthday feast fit for a teen)

(mom can still pick out cute clothes...every now and then)