Golden Birthday

Michaela celebrated her golden birthday last week. She turned 12 on 12/12!

On her actual birthday, Michaela was in Borrego Springs at a campout with her BSA troop. The girls sang her “Happy Birthday” and she had a banner to hang on her tent and a birthday headband. Mike and I drove out in the morning with donuts and noisemakers, which were a big hit.

That night, knowing she would be tired from sleeping on the ground in the cold the previous two evenings, we kept it very low key. She wanted to go to a buffet dinner (which I was not excited about, but it wasn’t my birthday), so we did that.

The following Wednesday, which is a half-day at school, Michaela walked with two friends to the local ice cream joint. When I arrived to pick her up — because, duh, moms are NOT allowed at tween birthday celebrations — she seemed to be having a blast.

Then… because all that celebration wasn’t enough… She went to a paint-your-own-ceramics place with her bestie from Scouts on Friday night. The girls painted and then grabbed dinner and Coldstone. I read my Kindle and had dinner alone, checking in on them every couple of hours. It was nice for all of us!

Michaela loves scouts, can set up her own tent and make a fire, and is also into gymnastics, pop music, arts and crafts, and all things on YouTube. I’m proud to say she is smart and kind. She’s thoughtful (even if she’s also very typically sassy towards her long-suffering mom) and independent. And even when she’s driving me crazy — which is often thanks to hormones and tween angst — she remains at her core an outstanding young lady who is destined to do great things.