Thirteen.

Today my baby is thirteen.

All of the Are you ready to have a teenager comments are really unnecessary because, at least for the moment, she's really the same awesome kid she was yesterday when she wasn't a teenager.

And no, for the record, I am not actually ready. Is anyone?

It's not even The Teenage Years we (Ron and I, parents everywhere, you pick) aren't ready for. It's the speed at which we have reached this point, and at which we will surely reach all subsequent points.

Thirteen is a milestone birthday, but unlike on, say, the fifth birthday, when you are amazed that your newborn has turned into a fully functioning child person who can mildly take care of herself, this is more the shock of subtraction. She has filled us up everyday these past thirteen years, but I know that now 18-13 = 5. And that's not much.

It's not enough.

She is a lot, this girl. If you know her at all, you know that she is kind, smart, funny, extremely crafty, and loves all things nature. She is the best girl I know.

Today we will squeeze and love our amazing girl on this big birthday.

We are the luckiest.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. It is absolutely GORGEOUS outside today. This is our gift, folks. A month from now it will likely be a different story.

2. I am listening to Hunger and re-reading Wonder, since the movie comes out next month.

3. A book I am extremely looking forward to, which is being released today, but for which I'll have to continue waiting until the library gets it in - Long Way Down.

4. We have been playing lots of Scattergories in this house, my favorite childhood game, and getting lots of funnies out of Fisher especially. I am in love with seeing him try and try to best his best score, and not allowing us to double his score to even the playing field. The other night we had to come up with things you save up to buy, starting with the letter R, and he answered "Real Nut Car," which after a few minutes we realized was actually a Renault.

5. Somehow I ended up with a digital image of Fisher's school portrait.

6. Taco Tuesday here!

7. Yesterday Alla happened upon the song Lazy Mary by Lou Monte while we were listening to Harry Belafonte radio on Pandora. She decided it is the best song ever and the song that most suits her personality. Look it up. You will agree.

8. I mean, this is her. A girl saying cheese next to a snake.

9. We grew our own pumpkin this year!

10. Here are the kids and I together in a picture, standing with the sad remains of our pumpkin vine.

And now I'm off, to get in the pick up lines, and to enjoy the sunshine!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. We woke up to 33 degrees this morning. All of a sudden. Things I'd forgotten: Where is my ice scraper? At what outside temperature do we turn on the heat?

2. Fisher had to be convinced that pants were really going to be a better idea than shorts. As much as he laments the end of shorts weather, he still told me he can't wait for Thanksgiving, because of the turkey and the biscuits. But the biscuits are the best, he said. And then he went on, And I think you make scones or something for breakfast? It really is all about the food.

3. He asked me last night, if I had to give up either coffee or salad, which would it be? WHAT KIND OF APOCALYPSE ARE YOU IMAGINING, DEVIL CHILD?! Alas, I chose giving up coffee. I figured I could find another, lesser, source of morning goodness (caffeine), but that, as he said, I needed my greens. Both kids hoped that it would never come to this, because I'd be one cranky mommy. True dat.

4. It might've been 33 this morning, but it is so so green still (and yellow and red and orange, too), and our own maple hasn't even begun to change. Also, I'm still killing mosquitoes. And fruit flies. Or does that not have anything to do with weather?

5. What is Alla up to? Well, she's a tween, of course, but she's also just Alla, so things like this: (I don't know.)

6. Kids and I are reading Wonder, again, because of the movie. This is my third time through, second with them. There are things I'd forgotten, and also its lessons of kindness are not lost this second time they are hearing it. It still inspires.

7. For myself I am in the middle of a gut-wrenching memoir, Some Bright Morning, I'll Fly Away.

8. It's October, so we are firmly in the routine of school again, summer feeling ever further away each early morning. Already I am wondering how to shake up the breakfast menu. We seem to be stuck on oatmeal, toast, bagels, and yogurt.

9. It's October 10th, so I am wondering where in the heck that box of Halloween decorations has hidden itself?

10. Ooh, let's play a game of What's On My Camera, since I've just been too darn busy to upload and edit pictures on a regular basis. Here's what I found today, Fisher and I heading out for his half birthday date a couple weeks ago - Red Robin and bowling :)

Back to School 2017.

Fisher started fourth grade on Tuesday. It's ok. Two more years in elementary, though, doesn't seem like a lot. Here's what's great about Fisher. When asked, a few days before his first day, if he wanted something new to wear the first day, he looked at me funny. When I asked him what he was going to wear, he looked at me even funnier and told me, like I was daft, a tshirt and shorts. As in, what I wear every single day, Mom, until it's gotta switch to pants. I got him this lovely chess shirt from Target and we called it a good compromise.

Alla got to have an extra day off - 7th and 8th grade don't start til Wednesday - so she and I had a girls day. We got mani-pedis and had lunch out. Can't wait for next year's girls day!

Her summer ended, too, though, and Alla had her first day of seventh grade (I checked, it's right), which I find incredible.

Perhaps more incredible, though, is how she's just a couple inches shy of me, according to the doctor's office just last week. She will probably catch me by the end of seventh grade.

It was very important for Ron to get in the picture, too, with his very own sign.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. In our newspaper lately, the little blurb in the weather section has been lamenting the fact that July 4th is already behind us. Time is moving way too fast. Alla said to me this is the first summer that she feels it, too. For us, July 4th really only marks 1/3 of the summer, but goodness it is a big mark. It's a check in time, but also a panic time. Are we doing enough, are we doing nothing at all, what does everyone want to be doing, how should we spend our days.

2. I'd say in general, when we do nothing, everyone is happiest. I'm happiest when we go to Duluth and do nothing but sit on the shore and look for rocks. Must do that soon.

3. I got up to run yesterday and it was so hard, but when I got home it was only 68, and I was just drenched and done and Ron was aghast because it was, as I said, only 68. Maybe what got me through that scorcher was that some awesome person had scrawled all these inspiring chalk messages throughout my route, so that every quarter mile or so I had something like this is tough but so are you to keep me going. Thanks, person!

4. Last week I enjoyed reading Ginny Moon, which I recommend to everyone, and now I can't keep from thinking hard things are tedious and from saying well dang! when something doesn't go my way. Charming book.

5. Now I've just started Beyond the Bright Sea, which I have been waiting for since winter.

6. After a two week hiatus from baseball, Fisher has started extended season!

7. He has also started orchestra (violin) lessons this week.

8. Both kids passed their swim levels, and now Alla is on track to start the Instructor Aide program!

9. I have made a concerted effort to add to my summer wardrobe this year, but turns out that most of what I've been buying is either navy or navy and white stripes. So I'm no longer allowed to buy either.

10. I do not know why my son has to make such a pained face in every photograph.

11. As a bonus, I've included this photo of an orangutan. You're welcome.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. I thought May was busy, but summer has its own rhythm that is more hands-on, less things that the schools have scheduled and therefore caused me to add to my calendar. We are still busy, just a different busy, if that even matters.

2. Up until today, it has been pretty darn cool out. Yay for free air conditioning, and that 51 degree run this morning was mighty refreshing, but it's also nice to be able to sit outside without your hoodie up.

3. Finished reading Danny the Champion of the World to the kids - great read-aloud.

4. Also finished my own book, Posted, which I highly recommend. If my own middle schooler didn't have a ton of books on her list already, I'd hand it over.

5. I've become a [summer] morning runner. You will not find me as brave as Ron come winter, getting up and running in the dark AND cold. But while summer is here and I can run in 50 or 60 degrees instead of 70 or 80, I'm doing it. I am even going to hit my goal of 50 miles this month.

6. Summer = back to American Ninja Warrior!

7. Summer = back to the simplest ever cooking.

8. We have the sweetest little bunny in our backyard who comes and sits in the same spot right next to our (fenced) garden and naps. Alla thinks he might come while she's playing her violin.

9. Regular season baseball is now over for us. Fisher's team finished 4th for the regular season. The kid made a spectacular catch in their final playoff game, and now has to wait two weeks before extended season instructional league starts. He doesn't even care what anything is called or about, he just wants to play.

10. The kids have made a Monster Summer List, meaning there's no way we are going to do all of that stuff!

First Day/Last Day 2017.

Well, here we are. First day of summer, so I'm reflecting for a bit on how nine months changes my wonderful kiddos, who are upstairs with me today instead of at school!

One thing is for sure, that girl of mine is a tall drink of water!

Happy Summer!