Teenager

So I have an actual teenager today. How did that happen? She’s almost as tall as me, wearing braces and the same shoe size as me, and growing out her bangs. She hardly ever lets me take her picture anymore. I have a super cute one from Saturday when she was baking our cake for the Nailed It At Home thing. She saw me try to get her picture and dipped below the counter. I caught her just as she was coming up, like a whack a mole. She won’t let me share it.

This past year, she’s had to learn a lot. There was friendship drama that couldn’t get resolved because we went into lockdown. There was remote schooling drama in the Spring, lots of overthinking assignments and anxiety. But it’s better now. I’m the lucky parent of a teenager who actually follows my advice every so often. The friendship drama was resolved and texting started back up in earnest. Remote schooling is under control. In fact, I’m thoroughly impressed with how well she’s been managing her schoolwork. No more mad dashes the day before an assignment is due. No more struggling in silence when both her parents are here and happy to help. She’s organized and in control. Her grades were already good but they’re even better now.

She’s still generally super sweet with her little sister. She helps V with her homework when she’s struggling with getting it done, helping her organize her thoughts and editing her writing. V has come to rely on her. I can still make her laugh with stupid jokes and silly dances.

She’s in that rough part of puberty. Where everything is new and you haven’t adjusted yet. But she remains open and cuddly. She’s got some sharp sarcastic edges at times, a little bite that couldn’t be seen when she was 3. Back then, I was a little afraid she would let the world walk all over her. Now, I know she has the confidence to stand up for herself in her own quiet way.

Yeah, she’s got this. She’ll be all right.