My sweet Abby girl.
Last year when I wrote up this birthday blog post for you I felt like
the format and questions I’d been using since you were tiny no longer fit. You’re not a little kid anymore. We’re on the edge of those teenage years
(trust me, I see peeks of this nearly every single day now) and the old
questions I used to ask just didn’t seem relevant anymore. So, this year I’m trying something new. I’m going to try and document some “state of
the world” type things and capture some things that are super relevant in your
life right now. I’m going to try and
paint a picture for future us about what it was like to have 11-year-old Abby around.
Current prices:
- Eggs $4.00
- Gas $4.25 a gallon
- $48,000
- Plane ticket $300
Pop Culture:
- Barbie the movie was a huge blockbuster hit (we actually went to see it on your 11th birthday)
- Taylor Swift is taking over the world with her latest tour – the Eras Tour
- Twitter was renamed “X”
- Former President Trump was indited for too many things to count – stealing documents, tampering with the 2018 and 2022 elections, and the Jan 6th insurrection to name a few.
Your Best friends: Katrina, Amelia, Stella and Lucy (this was the list you gave me – I didn’t make it up myself, but I DID guess it 😊).
Interest Rates: 8%+
Current President: Joe Biden
Firsts:
- A “house phone” cell phone. It pained me, but we finally got a third cell phone line that we’re calling the “house phone” for now. It’s allowing us to try and test out leaving you and your sister stay home alone for little bits of time and still have a way to contact us and get help from others if something should happen. Living where we do, we don’t really have a neighborhood of adults we can rely on, so giving you access to contact us is a big step in setting you up to be home alone.
- Getting off the bus alone in the afternoons.
- Staying home alone for a bit. We’re starting to let you and Hazel stay home together for longer and longer periods and testing out what the right balance is here.
A sweet story about you:
You have always been an “old soul” and every so often I see just
how true this is. How mature you are,
how aware you are of what’s going on around you, how “hard” you feel things and
how much you worry (and hide it).
A few weeks ago I promised you that I’d take you and your sister to
Joann’s to look for some special beads to make bracelets that your friends have
been making. The day got away from us
and we didn’t make it to the store that day so I promised I’d take you later in
the week when we’d be out near Joann’s again in Geneva for family photos. That day came and we were finished up with
lunch and the group decided of adults decided to go grab a drink at the
cocktail bar down the road because we had an hour or so to kill before
pictures. I knew I’d promised you that
we’d go get the beads, so I told the adults I’d take you by myself and we’d catch
up with them at pictures. I’d made a
promise and that was on me to fulfill.
So I loaded you and your sister into the car and we drove over to Joann’s. As we were walking into the store, you
grabbed my hand, looked up and me and said “Mommy, thank you for bringing
us. I know it’s not what you wanted to
do, and you’d rather be with them, but thank you for helping us get the beads”.
Sweet girl. It both hurt my
heart and filled it up so full at the same time. You are so sweet, and more aware than I
remember sometimes. You are kind and
mature, even though the fighting with your sister makes me insane. You try so so hard and have such high
expectations of yourself. I see myself in
you in so many ways and I wish so hard that I could help you let SOME of it
go. It makes you, you (and me, me) so I
can’t wish it all away. But, try to
worry less. Try to laugh more and care
less. And baby girl…just remember, it
all goes fast, so don’t wish any of it away!
Which, honestly, is something you already know somehow. You say it all the time “I don’t want to grow
up. I want to stay this age”…..you already
know it goes fast. And that these
moments are some of the best ones!
What was on your birthday list this year?
I included this one because Auntie Erin pointed out how much of a “teenager”
list you made this year. I think it
might be fun to look back and see what you cared about when you were this
age.
- An Alexa – I can’t believe we caved on this one but you LOVE it and I think it was maybe your favorite gift
- Taylor Swift CD (you specifically asked for her by name but also wrote “not kids bop”)
- A VR Headset
- A TV for you room
- A Computer
- Twinkle lights for above your bed
- Nintendo Switch Games (Fashion Boutique and Roller Coaster Tycoon)
Fashion trends:
- The 90’s styles are back!
- Scrunchies
- Mom jeans
- Metallics and faux leather
Are Owies still around?:
You betcha, they sure are. I’m sure they won’t last forever, but every
year I can still write about them makes me happy. It’s one of the last “baby things” that you
still do, and I love every single day we can get.
Things you’ve learned in the past year:
- Bake an angel food cake
- Make pork chop meal
- Getting off the bus solo
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