thir-TEEN

It's official.  My baby girl is now a teenager.

Aaack.

Of course it's not so bad.  (knock on wood) She's still the same sweet girl she always has been.

And (thankfully!) in many ways she's still fighting this business of growing up.  She might not have asked for another American Girl doll, but roller skates were high up on her present wish list.  Boys still fall in the "friends only" category, and she averts her eyes when she sees kissing on TV.  She wants to wear a little bit of make-up, but only mascara and some light eyeshadow. You almost can't tell she's wearing any.

Of course within a month she was begging me to dye her hair red with kool-aid. (I think coloring your hair is a decidedly grown up thing to do, even if you are using what is arguably a children's beverage.)

(The sink method didn't work.  That just gave her a major neck cramp.  What did work was brushing the paste on her hair then wrapping her head up in saran wrap, and then sleeping on it overnight.)

Odd-year birthdays are usually pretty low-key around here.

We celebrated by getting cupcakes. (Instead of baking, I spent the day celebrating my birthday too.)

Her friends surprised her by decorating her room while she was away.

And to cap off the evening we attended a joint orchestra concert with the junior high and high school at the high school. (not really the high light of her day)