Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Fourteen

It doesn't seem like a year ago that I wrote this post about Shannon turning 13. But it was, a whole year ago today.

As I was reading over that post, I was thinking about how much things have changed in the last year. How much she has changed, and how much our lives have changed.

Thirteen is a hard year, y'all. I don't think there are any easy years with teenagers, but 13 is hard. I looked at the picture in that post from last year. It was taken the day before her birthday, and she was asleep...making her look a couple years younger than she actually was.


This picture was taken about a week ago. She and two of her friends (Shannon in the Belle-inspired mustard yellow) were dressed up to go to a friend's bar mitzvah. She has developed some (ok, a few) curves in the past year. Her face has become more angular and she dyed her hair black. She wears a lot of eyeliner, and she's grown about 4 inches. And for all that tough facade...she loves Hello Kitty. She got a Hello Kitty little plastic tiara to wear to school today. Because she's silly like that.


Am I the only one who gets sad on my kids' birthdays? I always feel sad, because every birthday is one year closer to them leaving me.


I started to write a whole section here on adolescence, the struggle to become an adult, etc. Then I erased it. I'll write that another time.


Today is Shannon's 14th birthday. And there are times when I think I see a small light at the end of this hormonal tunnel. I hope it's not a train.


Happy birthday, Baby. I love you.


5 comments:

Mary said...

Happy Birthday, Shannon! It'll be a much better year, 13 is just a hard one, and now that one is done! I love the Belle dress, she really looks pretty!

Only one more 13 yr old to survive, Shelley!

Debra said...

My daughter is only 1, but I got sad too. It's a mom thing I guess.

Just found you on BlogHer!

Jen said...

OMG!!!!! Who is that girl?? When did she grow up??? Right in front of our eyes! Happy Birthday Shay! I hope you had a fun one.

Anonymous said...

A little late, but a Happy Birthday to Shannon. :)

Hello Kitty! You're never too old. I still have a Hello Kitty purse I carry around. It's Helly Kitty-ness is very subtle, but someone did notice it recently. I was thinking a couple of weeks ago about it... I'm kind of eclectic, I'm wearing combat boots, diamonds and carrying a Hello Kitty purse. ;p

Alice

Anonymous said...

I feel ya. My daughter turned 14 last November and now my eldest niece is turning 18 tomorrow. I FEEL old. lol