Sophie is twelve! I never knew that twelve is such a milestone birthday. She is so excited to be turning from a little girl into a young lady. It makes my heart happy to see her enthusiasm as she embraces each new change along the journey.
For starters, there was a flurry of action to make sure she did everything to receive her Faith in God Award. I am proud of her for taking it so seriously.
Then, there was the night of New Beginnings, which I already wrote about, that made me count my blessings for the sweet, genuine role models in our ward.
The night before her birthday, Sophie went to dance class while the Beehive adviser showed up with one of the Beehives to decorate Sophie's bedroom with streamers, banners, balloons and candy. I don't know what could have made Sophie feel more special than coming home to that surprise. She adores decorating and making a big deal out of holidays and special occasions (especially her birthday).
On her Birthday, she woke up to one of her favorite traditions. One of my sweet friends brought bacon to Sophie (or Ian, I can't remember which?) on a birthday years ago. The kids loved it so much that this thoughtful friend has continued to bring Sophie and Ian bacon on their birthdays every year since. I don't know how she does it. I feel like it is all I can do to get my kids ready and out the door on time, much less, cooking and delivering bacon on a school day. But, I am very grateful that she does it for my kids.
Brian delivered purple flowers to her at school.
Brian and I picked her up at lunchtime and took her to a tiny Japanese restaurant (Temari) where we feasted on tempura shrimp and veggies. We presented her with a silver necklace that has four hearts forming a four-leaf clover that is inscribed with the words "Lucky to Have You." We feel so lucky to have this girl in our lives. She loves shamrocks (and, the color green) since St. Patrick's Day falls in her birth month.
After school, a friend surprised her by taking her and some other friends out to ice-cream.
This is the moment that I realized that now, more than ever before, I have to make an effort to become the mom who picks up my daughter and her friends and takes them out to ice cream -- for someone's birthday, or just because.
Everyone says that as your kids get older - it becomes all about their friends. I feel like this statement became true overnight. I also became super uncool overnight. It is like I was perfectly normal and fine the last night Sophie went to bed as an eleven-year-old. When she woke up as a twelve-year-old, I was super embarrassing. And, I continue to learn the many ways that I say and do weird things every day.
It's not all bad. I think Sophie still likes me. She is just amazed by my inability to use the right lingo.
I probably should not even say "lingo."
She is working on a report on Russia for the country fair at school, so she has been asking me lots of questions about my experiences while living there. It has been an amazing trip down memory lane and honestly, I feel like we are talking about a completely different person.
I pulled out some old photos and I looked goofy in every single one. I know that usually, when you pull out old photos you say, "Oh my! I look so young. I didn't know I was ever so thin or that my skin was so smooth." But, I didn't have a blow dryer or curling iron while I was there, so my hair is a fuzzy mess in every picture. And, I had nerdy glasses. I also followed some horrible advice going over when someone told me not to take any clothes that I liked since they would all get ruined. Well, they may have gotten ruined, but who wants to wear ugly clothes for 6 months? So, ugly clothes, nerdy glasses, frizzy hair. I looked at the pictures and said, "Wow, I don't look very good in these," and, Sophie said, "Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything, but your hair looks really weird in all of them."
Sophie!
It was true though. Just one more way that I am embarrassing I guess. She won't be displaying any of those photographs at the fair.
After Sophie got home from getting ice-cream with her friends, Brian and I took her to buy her very first set of leather scriptures. She chose a triple combination with a snap - in black. Just like mine, only a little bigger. She got her whole name inscribed on the front. Sophie Caroline. I love that name.
She has wanted scriptures since she turned 8, but Brian said the tradition in his family was to wait until age 12. So, that is what he made her do. It has been such a long wait. But, she was that much more excited when the day finally came.
Then, we met up with my extended family for gifts, donuts (Sophie's request rather than birthday cake), and ice-cream. My mom got her some cowboy boots. Shoes and jewelry -- even the gifts seem so grown-up this birthday.
Two days later, she attended her first Young Women's activity. It was a combined activity/outing to the Weber State basketball game. It seemed so strange sending her off to a basketball game without me or Brian. It was fun to hear all about it when she got home.
She has been beaming all week and tonight she is having her party with her friends.
My party planning Sophie worked out all of the details -- a food list, a furniture diagram, the activities for the evening and a guest list. When it all seemed complete, she glanced over the list of girls and said, "Can I invite boys too?" I said, "Sure, why not?" And, she became exponentially more excited after that.
A lovely group of 17 boys and girls arrived at our house tonight. Right after the first guests got here, the boys sat on one side of the room and the girls the other. There was an awkward silence and I started to feel like I was in junior high wondering if it was going to all work out?
But, then, my brave Sophie fired up the Karaoke machine and belted out a Taylor Swift song, as if seventeen pairs of eyes weren't even staring at her. After that, every person in the room sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" together and the party was a hit from that moment on.
The spread included an assortment of flavored popcorn from our favorite sweet shop - the Sweet Pop'n Cafe, chocolate covered pretzels, lemonade, candy and fresh fruit. We had Krispy Kreme donuts (instead of cake) and ice-cream.
There was lots of rambunctious Karaoke, dancing with a disco light and a few rounds of the game mafia. Then, the guests suggested we go outside and play night games.
For one thing -- it was freezing. For another thing -- I am not use to this phase of parenting where it's O.K. to have other peoples' kids playing outside after dark at my house. I am telling you -- twelve is a milestone birthday. Some of the kids even walked a block or two home by themselves when the party got over at 9:30 p.m.
I got over it and let them play capture the flag on the front lawn while Brian and I took turns supervising. It was so cold. But, of course, the kids didn't mind at all. It was fantastic to see them running back and forth with so much energy.
I love that there were all these wonderful kids at my house tonight and I am excited to be fully propelled into this new phase of parenthood with my daughter Sophie. A young woman. On the verge of junior high and the teenage years and all sorts of fun stuff.
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