The most exciting part of 2019 is the fact that this fantastic young lady is now 13!
She is funny and kind. Strong and inclusive of others. Super smart and humble. And a million other things. She is perfectly, brilliantly Eleanor.
Eleanor turning 13 means that we now have 2 teenage girls in the house. I have a lot to say about teenagers. Though I'm new to parenting teens I've already formed a lot of opinions and have at least a short book of thoughts in my mind on the subject. But I have a solid 12 years of parenting teens ahead of me. So laying down a whole lot of thoughts at this point is a little like making a grand declaration about running a marathon once you've run 2 or 3 miles. Instead, I will write this, as this feels pretty certain to me:
- Parenting teens is hard. They are a little crazy. And they know it. And you know it. And you all have to survive together with this knowledge.
- Parenting teens is terrific. Some days you catch such a clear view of who they have been created to be, and it's so incredibly beautiful that it just guts you and you wonder how, just how, you get to have a front row seat to this. And this gets you through the crazies. Because it's a long game and a few crazy days should be expected.
Ok, one more thought on teens: You learn to accept table behavior that you'd never have allowed at 5.
Other news in 2019:
Lucy is playing basketball! She is having a lot of fun and we love to watch her play!
Emma doing homework after her first day back from Winter Break. No easing back into things for her teachers. Emma had an excellent first semester of high school and we could not be more proud of how hard she worked but also how well she balanced life. It's a challenge for sure.
