16 Already?

Dear Sabrina,

Thank God that’s only months and not years. I am so not ready for you as a teenager. I am the complete opposite of ready and have every intention of prolonging the time before you get there, even if it involves freezing you for awhile. It’ll be fine.

You, my daughter, are a live wire. You are always in motion, and it’s hard to believe that there was a time when you didn’t run roughshod all over the place, let alone that that time was a few short months ago. You’d levitate if you could, and I’ve no doubt you’re working on that right now. You scamper up almost anything that looks remotely climbable to you (except the bookshelves, which, keep up the good work there), but so far you’ve been smart enough not to take a fearless flying leap. I’ll take that as a sign of your common sense. It comes from me, you know.

You have hair. I mean, you’ve always had hair, but all of the sudden, you have HAIR. It’s wild and breezy and looks absolutely adorable in every way. You can rock a pixie, or a ponytail, and even the little curls you get on the back of your neck after a bath. It’s a color thousands of women pay untold amounts of money to replicate. Your future hairdresser (hi, Ana!) is going to love you.

You’re learning at such a rate it astounds me. Just the other day, I was buttoning your clothes, and counting, “One… Two…” And you supplied, “Thwee!” You said it with such conviction that you’ve probably known that little gem for some time, just waiting for the right moment to spring it on me. And it was perfect. You’ve figured out most of your brother’s toys, including where he hides them from you. You’re just as happy, if not happier, wrecking the train tracks he builds as dragging around your baby dolls. As I’ve said, I can see both tomboy and girly in you, and I don’t know which side will win out, but I’d probably lay money that there will be some beheaded Barbies in this house one day.

I can see both your father and me in you, but mostly I just see you. You’re fun in a bottle, and I think you know that very well. Keep that. I can’t wait to see what you do next, as long as it doesn’t court medical attention. And please be nice to your brother. He will deck the guys that are mean to you one day.

Love,

Mom