Thirteen

This girl had the audacity to turn 13 last Wednesday. For several days, okay, maybe weeks beforehand, I was feeling really, really sad about her birthday. I just can't believe that my baby is a teenager. After surviving that bumpy ride with Maddie, I was less than excited to be embarking on this ride again. But then I remembered two truths: a) Maddie turned out to be a pretty fantastic grown girl and b) No two children are alike.

The other day I found this that I had written about her years ago.

Emma age 5:

She is like no other little girl I have ever known. We all agree that she has an old soul. And smart? The Questions! Questions like "What's the last number?" "Where does the world end?" She wants to know things like "Can a person live without an arm?" "Are there people in the world that don't have a home?" She tells us things like "Nothing is more important than family" and when she asked at the age of 3 "Why does Daddy work?" and I jokingly replied "So, we can buy more toys", she informed me that she didn't need any more toys, she would rather have Daddy at home. At 5 years old she gets it. She's going through her things now so she can donate books, clothes and toys to children that need it more than she does. She is heartbroken at the thought of children that need. She collects empty food boxes from me and takes them to the basement where she pretends to deliver the "food" by scooter to the people who need it. Special. Hilarious. Creative. Brilliant. Affectionate. Talented. Caring. Beautiful. Strong. Imaginative. Loving. Appreciative.

We call her nature girl because she loves all things in nature and ever since she was able to walk, it takes us longer than most people to get anywhere because she has to explore everything on the way. Rocks, flowers, insects. She has a nature collection. In fact, she is a born collector. She also has a shiny things collection. And a gift wrapping collection filled with bits and pieces of all kinds of things and she loves to wrap gifts for us, always handmade, for no occasion at all but just for the sheer joy of watching us open them.

Emma Quote: "Don't question. Just love."

Emma age 13:

She is like no teenager I have ever known. She doesn't care about popular music, preferring classical and coffee house playlists. She isn't boy crazy, doesn't wear makeup, doesn't have a cell phone and rarely watches tv. She loves to read and spends the majority of her money on books. She loves crafting and is constantly making things for her costume chest or her dollhouse. She's an introvert. She loves quotes, vintage keys, her antique typewriter, animals, all things french, playing violin and ballet. She's an A student in the High Ability program at school. She NEVER asks for anything. She does her chores the first time she's asked, sometimes without being asked at all. She is kind and appreciative. She loves her parents and her sister. She has a great group of friends that I like to call the nerd herd. She doesn't care about popularity and avoids drama. She craves adventure. She loves to climb the tree with her adventure pack, cut up her apple with her Swiss Army knife and read a book. She is unabashedly unafraid to be exactly who she is and could care less what anyone thinks about it.

Emma quote: Mommy I'm going outside to have an adventure. Don't bother me for 3 hours.

So happy birthday my sweet girl. You make me proud every day.