Saturday, July 14, 2012

Sweet 16

Today my oldest child turns 16. Man! That's hard to believe!! I dont' really feel old enough to have a 16 year old, but I am. I was there...I remember the whole thing. Enough about me, this is about Hannah.

It was a Sunday morning when Hannah Evelyn made her big debut into this world. I was in labor with her for 25 hours (back labor, no less), and that has been the last time I have ever had trouble with her. Seriously.

From the moment she was born she has been so easy. I can only remember being really upset with her once or twice. She doesn't back talk, almost always does what she's told, goes to bed early, babysits her siblings without complaint, and is a very kind and compassionate person.  She was always the little girl who wowed family and friends with ultra smart comments. Like when my uncle said something about her fingers and she informed him that those were her phalanges. She was four at the time. That story still gets told at family gatherings!

Five years ago she decided to become vegetarian. At the time I was also, so it was easy for her. When Joel joined our family I started eating meat again, but Hannah stuck to her guns. That is something I am very proud of her for. Not many teenagers (that I know anyway) have to guts to have convictions like that and stick with them through thick and thin.  And she does get teased about it. We live in a community where hunting is the norm, even at the elementary school age.

She has also decided that a good education and career are better than boys. This is something David and I celebrate. She is torn about what she wants to be though. She goes back and forth between librarian and detective. I wish I had been this focused at her age. I think her plan goes something like this... college, career, move to England, find nice English man (Sherlock Holmes type), and settle down in posh flat with this man. Kids are optional. I'm okay with that.

Miss Hannah is also gaga over anything British. This is something that I inherited from my parents and have proudly passed onto my kids. She only watches shows from the BBC, which is nice. No Jersey Shore for this girl, which is very very nice.

I'm sorry I don't have a dramatic story about Hannah like I did the other two, but Hannah is just my undramatic child. If every child was like her I think the world's population would triple. I am glad she's unique. I feel very very blessed that she is in my life.

Hannah loving some spaghetti. I'm guessing she's about 10 or 11
months old here.