Amalia Turns 13 (when did that happen?)

It's soo hard to believe that our little girl is not so little anymore. We suspect that this is somewhat of a right-of-passage for all parents and their children around the world but our girl has been ready to be a teenager for years!  This day came with nothing but excitement and a sense of "I know what's coming", particularly when it came to gifts. Where her sister was complete surpised at the arrival of a birthday present in the form of a phone, Amalia was waiting for it and asking about the specific model she might have. No surprise factor whatsoever.  Her parents did, for a fleeting moment, consider not giving her a phone (now that would have been a surprise) but decided it was probably best to stick with 'tradition' and provide not just the phone, but the independence (and parental stress) that goes with it. 

So there it was... the customary family birthday wake up. It's preceded, of course, with hours of preparation the night(s) before. The batter for the pancakes, the signs for the journey from the bed to the present, etc. 

It begins with a set up (signs on the floor) and then the rest of the family moves into the birthday girl's bedroom. Time to wake up!  Happy Birthday (not so) little one!  Amalia wakes up, groggy as she is, and makes her way across her room (with a stop of a photo or two) into the foyer. There her present awaits. As she said, no surprise, but you can tell just how happy she is, can't you?  The end of a couple years of waiting. Communication independence at last!  

Photos (even Pearl joined us!) and more photos and then the march downstairs. Somewhere between the gittiness of receiving the present and the fact that we need to get to breakfast, we work out way toward the kitchen. Amalia begins to 'play' with the phone, of course. Open it. Check it. Set up backgrounds, In the kitchen the batter is ready and daddy is already moving on to stage two (or is it three): The pancake of her age!  It's a bit small this year but that's okay because she's not that hungry anyway first thing in the morning. But there it is, and she gets to add whatever syrups and fruit she'd like (the choice seems to be a combo of maple syrup with blueberries and strawberries.. yummy!). 

More photos, of course, to the point of complaining (the signal that we should probably sit down and enjoy the meal). On this day the birthday is on a weekday, so of course we have to move on to getting dressed and ready to had out. 

And out we go. To another day. Another year. A continuation of a pretty amazing life for a pretty amazing (not so) little girl. With a phone. And love. Lots of love.