A few weeks ago, my oldest child met a big milestone in her life.

She turned 16 years old.

I tend to not be a sentimental person when it comes to my children’s growth. I appreciate each stage of development as it comes, and I have always worked very hard to relish each season they bring to my life. The first day of Kindergarten, their first bike ride, the first time we talked about grown-up issues… none of these things had me wishing time would slow down or that I could have 5 more minutes of them “just like this” at whatever age.

I’ll admit, this probably makes me a “weird” parent. But hey, normal, I’ve found, is something I don’t do too well. Believe me, I’ve tried for most of my life.

I love my children, desperately so. And my favorite part of being a parent is watching them assert their individuality and become amazing individuals, complete with their own set of ideals, ethics, and opinions on their own lives. Do borrow a phrase from my grandmother; “I don’t live in my children’s hip pocket.”

So, when April 10th rolled around and we were faced with the celebration of 16 years with our daughter on this earth, I couldn’t help but feel so proud I’ve had all this time with her… to watch her grow into the person she’s become. I can say with absolute certainty that she and I have a very close mother-daughter relationship. I am forever grateful for these years we share and the fact they are not fraught with fighting, tears, or estrogen-enraged battles. Maybe we just got lucky, maybe it’s the culmination of 16 years of being there and raising her… I don’t know. I just know she’s amazing, and I enjoy the company of my daughter.

A few things about Rebekah that makes her so special:

Rebekah is stunning. Truly there are beautiful people in this world. And then there are stunning people who make you look twice. Rebekah was lucky enough to get the bulk of her father’s Greek genes and it shows in her looks. Add to that her inner beauty and you definitely have a child who has been stared at since her birth.

Rebekah is sarcastic. Wow, the dry humor that banters back and forth between myself, her brother, and Rebekah is truly astounding. I like to think she got this from her Irish roots (my side!). Rebekah is so quick and witty it’s almost frightening, but always delightful.

Rebekah is artistic. She loves to paint and sketch and create with her hands. Her room has always been a haven for her to do whatever artistic endeavor she feels driven to explore. This has created years’ worth of beautiful artwork that adorns her walls. Once she has run out of room to hang her work, she started making her work on her furniture. Is it odd that instead of anger, I feel pride at the personal creations she’s made on her furniture? She is truly gifted.

Rebekah is not shy. I LOVE this! She will talk to anyone about (almost) anything. Bek is comfortable with adults, children, people her own age and makes an effort to make others feel comfortable around her. She has a kind way about her that makes people enjoy conversing with her.

Rebekah is cocky. Oh yes she is! Not sure where that comes from… But cockiness and stubbornness are two traits I love to see in my children. It means they have a mind of their own and will push themselves to get what they want and create lives they are proud to lead. Rebekah has demonstrated that her self esteem and stubborn streak will take her anywhere she wants to go. And it’s so nice to see a 16 year old girl who believes she IS worth more than what a boy would want from her, what a teacher tells her, or what her peers try to dictate to her. Rebekah walks to the beat of her own drum, and is damn proud to do so.

To celebrate her 16th birthday, Rebekah threw a most amazing Rocky Horror Picture Show party at the studio. Complete with the props to throw at the screen during the movie, 1970’s themed food (can you say… FONDUE!) and everyone dressed in costume, it was a night to remember. A couple weeks later we did her Sweet 16 shoot in the Rocky Horror theme. Rebekah’s character was Columbia and boy did we have a blast with the costume, make-up, and shoot!

I was hesitant to show these images as part of Bek’s 16th birthday post. Then I remembered who I was writing about and realized nothing could be more perfect.

This is the child I’ve raised. This is one of two of my finest works in my life. This is her unique personality, her love of embracing the odd, the quirky, and the often misunderstood and rejected.

This is my child who will stand to defend her beliefs, stay loyal to her inner circle, and, when asked if double plastic bags would be fine for her groceries will say; “For goodness sakes, it’s Earth Day! What kind of person are you to even ask such a thing!”

I love her more than life itself. And I seriously, truly, honestly could not be more proud of this woman.

How lucky am I to have this boy as my son?

To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be grateful enough for his influence in my life.

This little man joined our family on a cold February night in 2000. He is a millennium baby, a fact he is all too proud to share with anyone who will listen.

Ben is the family peacemaker.

Ben has the most tender heart I’ve known.

Ben is FUNNY. His humor is dry and sometimes it’ll sneak up on you. His wit is far beyond his years.

Ben’s favorite game to play with me is: “Who do you think would win…” We play it almost every night and it goes something like this; “Who would win… Tuvok (from Star Trek Voyager) or 007?” or “Who do you think would win… All the characters in Lord of the Rings or the U.S. military?”

These games provide me some of my most favorite moments with my son.

Ben loves strategy games. He’s getting better at them but even when he loses, he’s always looking to see how he could have done better and what he can learn from his opponent. I am most proud of his ability to get past the Winning or Losing aspect and look toward how he can better himself.

Ben has a love for ancient history like nothing you’ve ever seen before! And his knowledge of the ancient cultures is outstanding.

More than half of his youth has gone by in a blink. And I know when I blink again we’ll be looking at his last year at home. I hold on to this boy with all my might and I treasure each new season he takes me through. I love watching him  grow and assert his independence. I’m honored to be his mother.

Happy birthday to my son. May the next 8 years we share at home continue to be simply amazing.

The annual Thanksgiving post is a few days late, but hey… close enough!

This year my entire family came over to our house for the holiday and we couldn’t have enjoyed the day more. On to some quick snaps from the day:

We rode horses (advantage to having an older, girl cousin– Katie was given Bek’s American Girl doll collection, and what a collection it is!)

The debate over who is taller was FINALLY settled between my daughter and me.

I win. For now, at least.

More playing with dolls.

Watched football and cooked (and cooked some more! and then ate!).

We also had some epic Mario Kart tournaments.

Then we played in the snow.

And ended the day with a splendid wrestling match (definitely a family tradition!)

Hope your day was just as fun and your home was filled with Thanksgiving!

Halloween ushers in the Holiday season for me. And if you know me, even just a little bit, you probably know that the winter holidays are my most favorite time of the year!

Here’s a glimpse into our Halloween weekend (minus Mike and I in our costumes, but if you friend me on Facebook, you can see the craziness there!)

Pumpkin carving! This is a very serious sport in our household.

And then it was off to Benjamin’s elementary school for some Halloween carnival fun!

After the school carnival, we did our trick-or-treating route, ending with a house the kids have trick-or-treated at for as long as they can remember. A special note; this is also a house I went to every Halloween night, and the same delicious, homemade popcorn balls are still being handed out.

Score one for traditions.

Wow.

Let me say that again.

Wow.

15 years ago I got to bring the most amazing girl ever into this world.

We recently celebrated Bek’s birthday with a little craziness and three of her very best friends. Since next year is the big 16, and Bek is convinced she’s going to have a huge, blow out sort of party, we opted for a more low key event this year.

This bathroom screams; Teenage Girl to me.

I get filled with so many emotions as I watch my oldest child grow. In three years (less, actually) she’ll be on her own. I am SO PROUD of the woman Bek is becoming. Life with her has gone by a like a gun shot for us. But we’ve raised an amazing child and are so excited to continue cherishing the years we have left with her in our home.

Such an amazing girl, here’s to the next stage, Bean! I can’t wait.

My son is a decade old. A whole decade!

Birthdays are different for me when it comes to my youngest child. With Rebekah, I’m anxious about the new year, the new stages she’ll go through, the new challenges and the new bits of relief (I’ll never forget when she was old enough to:  sleep through the night, use the bathroom by herself, call me on the phone, attend slumber parties, stay home alone, babysit…). With my second child, I have to force myself to sit down and truly appreciate the age and what it will bring to him, as an individual.

Ten years is nothing to sneeze at either. As my son likes to happily proclaim around the house: “Well, one decade down, nine more to go!”

He’s a positive thinker, that one.

If I had to sum up Benjamin’s first 10 years of life in one word, without hesitation that word would be: Laughter.

He makes me laugh every day. He cheers me up and forces me to look at the bright side of every situation. He’s a problem solver and must know the answer to anything his mind can dream up. Benjamin prefers to be treated as a peer, and not a child. He is not shy around adults (a quality I am SO PROUD of in him) and will strike up a conversation with anyone, regardless of age. My son is dastardly handsome, hopelessly romantic (seriously), brilliantly intelligent, and has curly hair that makes girls rage with envy.

In short, my son is pretty much perfect. Every day I get with him is a treasure I will hold onto with all my strength.