Who said 13 was an unlucky number??

For as worried as I was about having a teenager in the house, the first day of it has gone wonderfully!

Last night I stayed up until about two getting everything ready for Teagan's birthday - setting the birthday table with a table cloth and party balloons, hanging streamers on her bedroom door, wrapping gifts, preparing the birthday souffle, etc. It doesn't usually take me that long to get everything done, but the two little boys were up with me for most of that time and are serious time delayers! Duncan is sick again and his snuffly nose wasn't letting him sleep well, and Emmy is fevering again and was as clingy as velcro on shag carpet!

 This year I went a step further in my birthday morning fun for her. I usually blow up the number of balloons that they are turning and hang them around the birthday kid's room, and for Tig, I Saran wrapped her closed bedroom door and trapped her 13 birthday balloons between the door and the wrap; so when she woke up and opened her door, all the balloons would jump out on her! It worked like a charm and she loved it! And since she is in such a big polka dot phase right now, her balloons were appropriately polka dotted!

She woke up before 6 (which was understandably before I woke up) and found a little bit of snow on the ground. She was excited about that too for some reason .

After her door exploded on her, she took a quick shower and got into her birthday attire - a crown and a sash that says "Birthday Princess". Then she started her school and was finished with it before 7:30! I woke up to a smiling and clean birthday girl who had already finished her whole day's worth of school. I was impressed with her new teenage self!

Her birthday menu for today was:
Breakfast - Granny's breakfast souffle, OJ, and Bacon
Lunch - Spaghetti - Pig out style (eaten with your hands behind your back using your face only - we can only do this when Daddy isn't around! He thinks it is gross but it's a tradition that was passed down from my dad!) , Ginger tea with rice balls, croissants

this is the ginger tea cooking! It smells so good and is even healthy for you!

Dinner - Lasagna or manicotti (we did lasagna because manicotti is MY birthday dinner tradition), cream soda, fried eggs, and pineapple upside-down cake

 I even tried to make the cake look like it had polka dots on it, too!

Before dinner, Scott and Teagan went on a Daddy/daughter date to go pay for his new car and stopped at Micky D's on the way and got shakes fries. (Scott needed a little commuter car for work, so we picked him up a cute little Prius over the weekend.) She was so excited for that one-on-one time with him!

Then, after dinner, we did presents and cake! Tig and I were in a super silly mood after a day filled with fun games and playing around for most of it; we were cracking jokes at  Daddy for his camera skills and that is why I am mid-word and she is laughing.

 Emmy loved the gift he gave her. He loved it so much that he 'helped' her get it out of the plastic bag it was in, and then proceeded to 'help' her eat all the candies in it! Poor Tig didn't even get one!

 Teagan loved her gifts. She got new, colorful socks; a girl Lego set; The Lorax book by Dr. Seuss; a book titled Swindle from Garrett; 13 polka dotted kisses (air filled Hershey's kisses) inside a polka dotted make-up bag with two polka dotted hacky sacks all from Owen; a Mater toy truck from me; and a Mater PEZ from Emmy.

 Her Granny made her two beautiful hats that Teagan adored! Granny didn't know it but Teagan tries on the berets every time we go to Wal-Mart or  Target and has wanted one for a very long time; so these two berets are already very much loved and appreciated! She has already planned her outfits for the next two days to coordinate with which hat she will be wearing.

 They were a big hit! We couldn't decide whether Duncan looked more like a Rastafarian or a 'sroom from Mario!

 Her big gift from us was a new comforter for her Queen bed that Grandma passed down to her. All our comforters and blankets were too little, so she needed something that could fit her new bed size. We also got her a super soft and fuzzy purple round rug to match. I told her we will also get her a dust ruffle for the bottom of her bed and that I want to paint her room as soon as she decides what kind of dots she wants in it.

 She was so excited to be in her new, stylish room that we almost forgot about the cake...

 Almost. Emmy remembered. He also helped Teagan blow out her candles!

She passed out invitations to four of her friends to come to her Polka Dot Party next Friday, so she will be having a friend party next week. I think it will be a good chance for her to get to know her new church friends.


     She came as my first playmate and continues to be my best friend. It's been mostly her who has helped me not feel so lonely here in Washington without any friends - with her as my friend, I don't need to look a whole lot farther. She loves playing games as much as I do, and is growing into a fairly evenly matched competitor for me.
     She reminds me of what I want to be when I grow up - confident, adventurous, open. She is also humorous and brave and caring. She is friends with everyone she meets and isn't afraid to do hard things.

     She loves to make me happy and be near me; which I love. She gives me a back rub whenever she can; which I love. She is self motivated, thrives on learning, and loves reading; all of which I love. I thank Heavenly Father for her every single day!

So, for our first day of having a teenager in the house I've seen increased responsibilities, early school finishing, lots of laughter and fun, and my beautiful baby girl turning into a wonderful young woman. Yeah, if this could keep up for the next 5 years, I think I might just make it through having a teenage daughter around!

Happy 13th Tigger Ruthie!