Dear Reina:
Yesterday, you had your 14th birthday. FOURTEEN?! Unfortunately, you spent the evening before your birthday barfing your guts out so your actual birthday was kind of a bummer. You stayed home from school but Dad and I took turns keeping an eye on you. We had to reschedule your birthday party trampoline park extravaganza but we are going to do that next weekend so you get an extended birthday celebration.
For your birthday, you finally got your own TV. You also got a lot of generous checks and giftcards, your own fitbit, some earrings and an outfit from Forever 21 but don't forget that Will gets to pick it out. That should be fun.
Reina, you are a delight. I probably say that every year but this year its just the best way to describe you. You have a wicked sense of humor, interesting insights and interests in a wide variety of topics, highly effective sarcasm and a big, big heart. You are working your way through eighth grade with good grades and a big group of friends. You are still taking dance classes and getting better and better at hoop and pointe. I can't believe you'll be in high school in the fall but you will be more than ready.
You have discovered the joy that is movies from the 80's and 90's and you love to critique the fashion. You are picking up more babysitting jobs which is nice because you love taking care of kids and you also love money so it's a good combination. You like to draw in your downtime and I'm amazed at your talent. It clearly skipped a generation from my mom straight to you.
Lest anyone reading this in the future thinks that every day is rainbows and unicorns over here, you do have a delightful temper, too. (I also know which side of the family that comes from.) I hope you always stand up for yourself kiddo and make your opinions known.
Yesterday when you were still feeling rotten, you and I sat together and looked at all of my blog posts from your first year of life. The last fourteen years have passed in the blink of an eye but when I look at your face, I still see that beautiful little baby girl who wore a giant flower on the her head and sat on her brother's train tracks just so she wouldn't miss a minute of the action. We love you so much, Reina. Happy, happy birthday teen girl.
 |
| For posterity's sake - I let you know that I didn't love the idea of selfies being taken while someone is lying down so you immediately sent me my phone buzzing with many, MANY incoming pics like these. Artful staging by the way. |
 |
| This is not your favorite picture but this face is so very you. "MOM! Take the dang picture!" |
