Thursday, August 30, 2012

Milestones and the End of Summer

My youngest child turned 12 this week, and I think I've gone into a bit of denial. No more little kids. No, she's not "technically" a teenager, but she looks and acts like one in almost every respect. I know that's not necesarily true for all 12-year-olds, but with 2 older brothers, she's matured more quickly than some.

It's bittersweet in so many ways. Not that I miss diapers and crayon drawings on the walls, but... I miss all the other stuff that comes with little kids. And not that big kids aren't fun to hang out with too, but... it's all different now.

On the other hand, I think she's just frustrated that she's NOT officially a teenager yet. Not old enough (in our home) for her own cell phone. Not old enough for high school. Still "officially" a kid.

Sigh.

End of summer blues.

I told my daughter she could have anything she wanted on her birthday cake. It's her first store-bought cake in 12 years. I immediately had to take back my statement as I proceeded to reject her first few ideas.

We settled on a cake that sums up how we both feel about this milestone.

15 comments:

  1. My 13 year old granddaughter is in bed, and I'm too late to find out what song, group, heartthrob, fad we're referring so. So, is the cake yellow or chocolate? Happy 12 birthday, young lady.

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    1. Hi, Joanne! It's actually a movie reference to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. It's a scene where they travel in time and meet Socrates and use song lyrics from "Dust in the Wind" by the group Kansas to explain the transitory nature of life to him...maybe it's funnier with the California accents ;-)

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    2. Oh, and it's dark chocolate cake inside with buttercream frosting. It was actually quite good, for a supermarket cake!

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  2. Hi Kate,

    My son is 12 and just started the 7th grade. He's in the in-between stage, too. We're having the cell phone conversation, and all I can think about is where that little two year old terror on two feet went and how I miss him :)

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    1. Hi, Traci! So you've probably heard the "but all my friends have their own phones..." We have the 2 older brothers to point at, who each survived until 13 without a phone.

      It's easier now with her, because literally ALL her friends have phones, so there's always one if she needs to call me after a practice or rehearsal.

      But yeah, I miss the little girl who would strap on her plastic Barbie roller skates and go in circles through the downstairs, chasing the dogs!

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  3. That is the most subdued cake I've seen in a while. She'll be a teenager in no time, and then she'll want to be a kid again. :)

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    1. She already "ordered" the over-the-top pink Disney princess cake for her 16th birthday - and plans to make all the guests wear tiaras (even the boys) We'll see if that's still the plan in 4 years ;-)

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  4. Cellphones weren't in general use when my daughters were young. Guess I was lucky.

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    1. It's a tough age with or without cell phones. That's just the battle she's arguing at the moment. I remember when my sisters and I were this age, one of my sisters pushed and pushed for us to have a phone in her room and separate phone number.

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  5. I can relate! My daughter is eleven.

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    1. Good luck! It seems it's a tougher age for girls than it was for the boys. I'm not saying the boys were easy. Just different.

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  6. I never had kids, but I remember being 12 and in such a hurry to grow up. I like the cake decorations.

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    1. Thanks, Inger. I've never bought a store cake for any of my kids' birthdays - and we had to go to 2 supermarkets and a bakery until she found the right color combination, lol.

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  7. mmm...dark chocolate cake with icing. Any left? I bet she can't wait to be a teenager. Hope you all had a great day

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    1. lol, none left. We actually had another cake this weekend when the rest fo the family came to celebrate - homemade chocolate with chocolate frosting - none left of that one either. Chocolate doesn't last long around this house!!

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