Almost 13

It feels like the remarkable young lady standing beside me in this picture was a tiny, jaundiced, squalling infant just yesterday. How is it possible that she is now almost 13?!?

But...but...Barbie never complained!

This pic is one of my better spontaneous hair creations. 

I'm pretty proud of my braiding skills. I went to the School of Barbie (years and years of training, folks), and while I'm no expert, I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve. 

This morning, Sophie asked me to put her hair in a single braid. One braid? Pffff. Cake walk. 

Me: "Um...sure. I think I can handle that."

Sophie: "But...just...well...don't do it like you normally do it, okay, Mommy? Do it like a professional this time, please. I want it to look nice."

Snickerdoodles

My daughter seems happy lately.

It is such a rare and fragile thing. Like a delicate butterfly that suddenly lands on your hand. You just want to freeze time, stay still, and not risk a sudden, stupid movement that will cause the beautiful creature to fly away.

I just came home from grocery shopping and found my normally mercurial, moody tween beaming from ear to ear. She proudly declared that she had made snickerdoodles from scratch while I was gone. When I asked what had possessed her, she said, "Well, you told me once that a great way to show love is to bake. So..."

I'm hiding in the bathroom right now, crying a little, as I type this.

What a privilege it is, being her mother.