Teenager in the house!

Happy Birthday, Chickadee!  Thrilling 13 is upon us.  And while we anticipate with great excitement the next roller coaster ride around the sun, let’s spend a few minutes reflecting on what an incredible year 12 was, and who you are, today.

You continue to love the written word over just about everything else.  Books are your most constant companion, and you randomly recite passages that flit to mind as appropriate.  You read and re-read more books in a week than most 7th graders will the entire year… your appetite is never-ending.  This amazes your classmates, as you single-handedly achieved an ice-cream party for your English class based on book count, and also wows your teachers, who marvel at your speed and comprehension.  Daddy and I are just happy to see you embody the quote we found as a decoration for your room last year: “The world was hers for the reading…”  Indeed it is.

While you still enjoy fiction fantasy/dystopian series like Twilight, The Hunger Games, Crossed, etc., you’ve expanded genres to include biographies…Benedict Arnold and Jackie Kennedy Onassis are your two current favorite subjects.  You received Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre for your birthday, so maybe we’ll shift you to the classics in the coming year.

Your teachers are also so very happy to have you in their other classes. You continue to excel in Science, Math, Social Studies, and French.  Even missing a week because of the flu didn’t set you back at all.  In fact, the school chose to nominate you for a sleep-away summer camp this summer held on a college campus, that is focused on science, technology, engineering, and math in recognition of your interest, effort, and knack for that curriculum.  Daddy and I raised our eyebrows at the thought of a week of summer vacation spent basically going to school as fun, but when you said you couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything more, we knew that although you come from humanities-focused parents, you are a STEM-kinda-girl!  While we await the results of their review of your essays and letters of recommendation, we are honored to have seen your hard work and aptitude recognized.

One thing that really impressed me this year was your developing abilities in the arts.  You take each drawing assignment very seriously, and practice your flute with incredible diligence.  Your teacher has brought out natural skills and your keen eye for detail, and you have great confidence with a pencil in hand.  (That must be the Merrill in you!)  We love to flip through your sketch book and see your take on her assignments.  You love going to art museums and seeing different styles and mediums.  And this might be the year when you and your friends finally finish painting the school ceiling tiles in Art Club!

On the music side, we love hearing you play your flute.  Your tone is lovely, and earned you a seat in the All-County Band this year.  When you broke your arm mid-winter (a week after signing up for the annual NYSSMA competition), you were wrecked at the thought of not being able to practice your flute for over a month.  When the cast finally came off and you regained your range of motion, you cried at having less than three weeks to get ready for a solo performance.  But you practiced tirelessly, through pain and tears of frustration at times, and emerged from Spring Break determined to see the commitment through.  You performed beautifully, earning an excellent rating.  On the heels of that success, you quickly practiced a Mozart trio with Cristina (clarinet) and Janet (Oboe), and auditioned for a coveted spot in the VA June Jam. Soon your classmates will get to hear what we are treated to almost every day.  You are off to sleep-away band camp this summer, which we are sure will be wonderful experience that continues to develop your skills and appreciation for music.

You joined the cross country team this year, and had a wonderful season, improving your mile time by over two minutes.  It put you outside your comfort zone a little since none of your friends run, but since it tapped into your love of nature, and led to us running together, you came to enjoy this independent team sport very much.  With your key competition being the watch on your wrist, we hope you stick with it.  You also made Daddy very happy with another season of rec basketball.  You are a natural leader on the court, understanding the nuances of the game, setting up plays, and using your height to incredible advantage.  Speaking of height, let’s just talk briefly about the 3+ inches you grew this year! You are sharing my clothes already, and those long legs should continue to serve you well pounding the pavement and the court.  Of course, such growth means your appetite is also incredible.  You love to watch cooking shows and bake, and clearly have the Mathews sweet tooth.  You’ve also stuck with your pescatarian diet for nearly a year!  You are steadfast in your commitment to not eat animals, surprising your friends and frustrating your father, who can’t believe you’ve abandoned the incredible burgers he grills. I’m thankful that while there is never beef, pork, or poultry on your plate, you still eat fish… makes dinner easier at least two nights each week!

While your diet can test our patience at times, the last year tested your patience on many occasions.   With a broken elbow that resulted in a cast from the top of your shoulder to the bottom of your fingers, a begging overweight cat who rarely lets you have a good night sleep, a 10-year-old-brother who knows exactly how to push your buttons, a nagging mom and dad who expect more mindfulness around the house, and a ruckus-raising dog hell-bent on chasing rabbits, your nerves are tested on a daily basis.  You are sensitive and your mood can flip like a light switch.  Fortunately, most days there is a single source of frustration, but on others, a trifecta hits and holy heck breaks lose.  You reach a fever pitch when emotions run high, and while the drama eventually subsides, apologies are made, and forgiveness flows, in the moment, I see a glimmer of the fierce woman you are becoming.  You feel deeply, express frustrations clearly, and argue with a degree of certainty and success that makes me wonder if you might follow my career path.  While this part of growing up is hard, realize that you are navigating it very well, and Daddy and I will always be here to help you through, with loving arms and shoulders to cry on.

As the last year of bona fide child status, you made it one to remember.  And now we enter the teen chapter, which promises more adventures, opportunities to learn and grow, and memories to make.  While it is bound to have new challenges, we trust you will take them on with your can-do attitude, while remembering that we are always here to help guide and support you, and share the experiences.  We love you so very, very much, Greta.  Happy Birthday!