Katie at 14

Had some time in between turkey bastings to get this post up!

So my baby girl turned 14 two weeks ago.  Whenever I look at all our baby girl clothes stored away I get a little nostalgic, but really I'm enjoying this stage with two teenage girls in the house, too.  It's nicer now that Katie has passed the age of 13, and we'll just leave it at that. ;)

For her birthday she simply wanted to spend it in total leisure: staying in her jammies, playing video games, writing stories, chatting with friends, eating special birthday foods, and not having to go anywhere. 

She is a woman after my own heart!  Since as a homeschooling mom I have the power to determine when school breaks are, I have decreed that all birthdays are family holidays, which everyone appreciates.

One of the things I am appreciating most about Katie is that she loves baking, so she insisted on making her own birthday cake: cupcakes in cones.  She had a particular artistic vision for coloring and swirling the batter.  I was happy to leave that in her charge.

she was cold

We had to postpone her birthday party because of a virus that was taking its sweet time to make it through the family; but she's planning on having a spa night sleepover with friends.  I gave her a strict budget for supplies so we wouldn't go bankrupt over face masks and cuticle oil.  (It's actually been fun taking her and her best friend shopping for the supplies.)

Here is a good representation of Katie these days:

except usually she's in jammies.  (one of the very best things about homeschooling!)

She is never without her binder of stories and pictures.  I am going to start making her purchase her own paper.  She already went through 3/4 of the looseleaf I bought on sale in August for SCHOOL purposes.

And here, to shock everyone, is Katie-at-13 vs. Katie-at-14:

13-and-change

14.  aaaaaaaaaaaahhh!

So that's our Birthday Bear!  Still as creative and hilarious and sarcastic as ever, and we wuv her wots.