Earlier in May, Amelie was 9. She had a lovely day I think, even though we didn’t actually do much. It isn’t every child who would be quite so thrilled with a Jayne’s Aircraft Manual, but I’m not complaining. There is nothing wrong with a child who has a good smattering of weird interests 😀
A model aeroplane, several compendiums of stories (she turned her nose up at Stories for Girls and went for Stories for Boys instead!), a jigsaw, some D & D monsters, a special diary she had coveted and a jigsaw made her very happy. Her sisters spoiled her, as they always do and made a good fuss of her all day. Last year she was the first to have a birthday in the aftermath of everything and she was desperately hyper about it, this year she has a new gravity, a little more composure and a great deal more maturity. She is growing and changing
all the time, becoming stunningly beautiful and learning to use her personality for all manner of things 😆
And now, Fran is a teenager. I’m not sure quite how this has happened, that little mite who once seemed like she ruled our world, stopped us
from even cooking a meal, turned us upside down and inside out. I thought there could be no greater worries than the ones she brought us. How wrong I was. She’s so grown up now, taller than I thought she would be, slim and agile and fit and growing into her adult face and body. It’s a miracle to watch it happen, even more so, in some ways, than watching a toddler change. I’m fascinated to see where another
year will take her. She’s very calm and assured too, in many ways. We try not to be restrictive parents but up till now that hasn’t mattered as she’s not really asked us to let her do anything we are not happy with. She’s open about her thoughts and feelings, communicative and
stretching her wings in ways that make me proud without making me be afraid.
Everyone says “4 girls, the teenage years will be a nightmare!” And so they may. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m interested to see where the next few years takes us.
Happy Birthday Girls.
So glad to see you back up and running — I was a little worried when your blog was inaccessible …
Happy Birthday to your girls! I’ve always liked being a May girl, myself 🙂
I honestly feel that the teen years are a fabulous time of life and as a parent really exciting, actually. In some ways i find the teen years to be esier than the middle years (post-babyhood through 11/12). The kids are growing and changing and maturing into such interesting people through their teens. And remember, they are becoming the people they will be as adult members of the family. I don’t find it to be a divisive time, but rather a time of maturing as a family, when roles shift, and exciting new avenues open. I loved homeschooling my eldest all the way through (he’s 22 now), and of course plan to do the same with the younger ones (9 and 11.75). I mean, nothing is sunshine and roses all the time, any kid is going to have probably one really trying year during puberty, but overall, the teen years are great.