Monday, March 17, 2014

12 Things About You at Age Twelve

I know I say it every year, but 12?  How did that happen?


  1. You started taking archery lessons and you really really really like it.  The instructor really makes it fun by attaching things to the targets - dollar bills, balloons, turkeys at Thanksgiving, and everyone's favorite, apples. 
  2. It cracks me up that you walk around with a sword down the back of your shirt.  And there is another one by your bed.  Because as everyone knows, ork attacks, ninja surprises, and dragon raids could happen at any moment.
  3. When you get sick, even if it is a relatively minor illness, it hits you hard and it takes a long time for you to recover.  You do not like taking medicine.  You have to be cajoled and have a glass of water to hand and I keep having to tell you to take all of it.  I hate it when you're sick.
  4. You like to watch cooking shows and you're interested in how ingredients go together and want to make up your own recipes.  You thought Home & Careers would be boring this year but you are having a lot of fun in that class cooking and learning to use the sewing machine.  You made a fabulous pillow.
  5. You've got a knack for languages.  You wish school offered Norwegian, but had to settle for Spanish, which you are picking up fast.  We also have a calendar with a phrase in Latin for each day, which I put in your lunch box.
  6. You spend a lot of time on the computer.  Minecraft and other games, yes.  But you watch YouTube videos on how to construct things and music videos and movies too.
  7. You are interested in blacksmithing and wood carving and sword kata don't understand at all why all the lessons we have been able to find (if we can find them) state that you must be 14 or 18.  You feel you are totally capable of it and think all this liability/insurance/maturity argument is hooey.
  8. You came home one day and said you tried out for All County Chorus.  4000 kids try out!  You won a spot representing your school and will perform at the symphony hall in March.  We're all pretty excited and proud of you!  You are not even complaining (much) about getting up early for extra rehearsals.
  9. You are campaigning for a hedgehog.  They are only $200.  They are so cute!  You can teach them to do tricks!  And they are so cute! They are not expensive to take care of!  And they are so cute! They eat cat food!  And they are so cute!
  10. You are interested in architecture too.  You draw a lot of buildings and think about how they should be designed to be energy efficient.  You came up with a circular garage which is brilliant and I think we need to build right now.
  11. You have discovered Pinterest and are pinning and sending me pictures of dragons, gardens, cakes and things you'd like for your room.
  12. You have a renewed interest in your Magic cards.


  1. You have been trying a lot of new foods lately.  Tacos, gummy lifesavers, cookies, asparagus, green beans... You don't like all of them, but at least you are willing to give it a try.
  2. You still love hats!  Your current favorite is a top hat with a plaid ribbon and some felt holly that N gave you for Christmas.
  3. Continuing in the opposite-of-your-brother vein, you almost never get sick.  But when you tell me something hurts, like an ear, then I know it really hurts.  You've probably had antibiotics 3 or 4 times in your life, and that's including your heart surgery.  You're usually back to your old self in 24 hours, 48 at the most.  You used the iPad to tell the doctor "I'm grumpy! My ear hurts!  Give me medicine!"  You don't complain about taking medicine, you just do it.
  4. Since bunnies came to live in our yard last summer, you are all about the bunnies.  You look for their tracks in the snow, you want to leave carrots in the yard and you are always pretending to be a bunny and hopping around.
  5. You are doing a really great job brushing your teeth and getting dressed by yourself.  I might have to adjust your socks a bit and occasionally something is backwards, but in the mornings you get ready for school on your own and in the evenings you get ready for bed on your own.
  6. You like to take pictures.  Lots of pictures.  Last time I synced the iPad it had 20,000 pictures on it.  (yes, you read that right).  You use your camera, my camera, the iPad, your brother's iPod, my phone, if it takes pictures you are using it.  Mostly they are pictures of your friends on the tv - the Wiggles, Dorothy and everyone in Oz, Snoopy, etc.  But you also take these still lifes - the shelves in the refrigerator, the bathroom counter, the coffee cups on the table, the clothes in the hamper, the contents of your backpack, the insides of a drawer.  And sometimes I find one of your brother (see above) or Daddy or me that I didn't even know you took.  I love these little insights into what is important to you and unusual snapshots of our daily life.
  7. You are very happy when K comes back to Buffalo to visit and you grudgingly accept that baby she keeps bringing with her. You are equally happy that J is back in town and comes to spend time with you.  You were a little bit mean to him at first until you realized he was staying.
  8. This winter you have actually wanted to go out to play in the snow!  You put on snowpants and boots and gloves and a winter hat and a scarf and you actually yelled at the other kids to hurry up and come on!  
  9. It takes you an hour to eat a bowl of soup because you don't really scoop enough onto your spoon.  But if you're happy to sit there for that long, who am I to argue?  You even used chopsticks to eat the noodles after watching your brother do it.  You got some too!
  10. Swimming is still your best thing!  Coach Snoopy is really proud of your progress!  You are participating in your first swim meet in March.
  11. You love the iPad and the fact that you can carry it around with you.  You can swipe with the best of them and watching Netflix from any room in the house is the coolest thing ever.
  12. I love that when you are eating spaghetti or something you really like, you close your eyes and smile beatifically.