Halie Currently: The Teen Edition

I have a TEENAGER!  Officially today, I have a thirTEEN year old in the house.  How did that happen?  I don't really know.  Gone in a flash.  I remember Logan and I bringing her home in January 2007.   So dang cold, in our Mustang, that of course had no winter tires because we were barely paying our mortgage and bills on one income.  We installed the car seat, or so we thought.  When we looked back to check on her, we found the bucket tilled completely to the one side, with our newborn happily and safely strapped into it sleeping away.  We didn't know at the time that if you didn't have automatically locking seat belts, that you needed this extra clip installed on the seat belt that wouldn't let it move as the car took turns.  I could say it's just we were so young we didn't know better, which partially true but also, I am older now and I am still hitting bumps along the way as a mom.  It's life.   Even through all the mistakes we've made along the way, I am proud to say that Halie  is turning into a lovely young lady.  Sure, the teen-age-ness is annoying at times, I think more so than the tantrums of a three year old,, but that's all perspective isn't it.   Halie is caring, thoughtful, mature, and persistent.  She looks after her friends, she loves her family and works very hard to achieve goals she has set.  

Let's look at Halie as a of right now.

Currently.....

Wearing, mom jeans!  Hahahahaha.  And Lululemon leggings.  Also she has been borrowing more or my things.

Reading, she is really into the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins series, which  I am also a huge fan of so it gives us something to talk about.  Thank you Mrs. Kelleher for introducing her to this series.  She is an off/on reader.  Sometimes reading a ton and other times barely at all.  We aren't good at scheduling time for them to read anymore as they've gotten older, we read in front of them all the time but.... Anyway if you have thoughts or tips on growing teenage readers, by all means send them my way.

Extra curricular, horseback riding in the fall and spring, and that continues to be her favorite.  She is also loving her dance classes this year and is looking forward to competition season.  She is currently in jazz, lyrical and ballet.  On Thursdays Halie continues to volunteer at the Sherbrook Community Center in which she attended in grade six as a student.  She enjoys being with the elders and helping with their day program on Thursdays.

Watching, Stranger Things over and over and over again.  Also, Friends and recently was given permission to watch Riverdale.

Listening to Shawn Mendes.  We went to the Shawn Mendes concert this past summer and his music has been on repeat ever since. 

Thinking she wants to pursue,  veterinarian school or a path that involves working and caring for animals.  If you know someone that could speak to her about the various options and pursuits she would love to hear from you.

Obsessed with coffee, like french vanilla, coffee with flavored cream, 1/2 hot chocolate 1/2 coffee combo.  Hmm, as a parent we weren't sure how we felt about this, but with my coffee habits also starting young  I don't feel in any position to judge.  (Is this the hill I wan to die on?  A question I ask myself daily with a tween and a teen)

Happy 13th birthday to my first born.  

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always.
As long as I am living,
my baby you'll be."

- Robert Munch