Maggie Becomes a QuaranTEEN

 If somebody has figured out how to stop kids from growing up, I'll buy stock in that company because man oh man, I can't believe that I have another teenager!  My beautiful Maggie Rose turned 13 and "felt so spoiled" by all the lovely well wishes and gifts and prayers that came her way.  Her godmother is a sister and her godfather is a priest (we got all bases covered!) and her godfather is also the chaplain at our high school, so when I walked into morning Mass on her birthday, I heard him say "Today's Mass is celebrated for Maggie Martin" and I realized just how lucky she is.  The nice thing is that she also knows it.  She is a sweetheart, who is so appreciative and spent the last part of her birthday evening writing thank you notes.  

Maggie got donuts for breakfast before school, and chose tortellini (with cheese and meat) with two choice of sauces (pesto and red) and a salad and rolls with cinnamon butter as her birthday dinner.  Mmmmm it was a crowd pleaser.

I found that shirt on amazon and had to get it, she loved it.  Her Gammy and Granpa gave her some Irish leggings from a little Irish shop and a great cake decorating kit for her newfound interest in all things baking.  Her Nana and Gramps sent her an Amazon gift card...which I'm sure she'll use to buy even more baking equipment.  Hey, I'm here for it...let us eat cake and all that.  Her cutie patootie friends gave her thoughtful gifts at school or dropped them off at our home, and she felt very special.

In the Martin house, you get a phone when you're thirteen but we have learned that teenagers get a little addicted to their phones (shocking!) and we had been researching different phones that could help keep our kids safe and not distracted/anxious/depressed.  Maggie's middle school classes watched the Social Dilemma and she came home from school that day telling us that she was so worried about getting a phone.  She didn't want to get addicted, and she didn't want to ever go on social media.  She was even saying that maybe she didn't want to get a phone at all.  We just listened to her, knowing we had already solved the problem by buying her a Gabb phone that doesn't have an app store.  She can call and text and take pictures and she was thrilled!!  She kept saying "that's all I want to do, just call and text people, so it's perfect!"  It was like we were able to relieve her of any future problems that can come with phones and social media.  She's just so mature, and different from the boys!

Gosh, she looks so old :(

We also told her that we signed her up for volleyball this winter.  It's a sport she wants to play in high school (like her momma) but it normally conflicts with her CYO basketball season.  Since basketball is not happening for her, at least not yet, she gets to bump, set, spike!  And she is psyched! 

 

We have a little construction project going on in the house right now, which is a post for another day, but my Dad took the opportunity to measure Maggie on the wall, and she is 5' 3.5" tall.  My mom, also named Maggie, measured in at the same height, though "little" Maggie looks a bit taller so we might have to start calling her "taller" Maggie and my Mom becomes "little" Maggie.

Brendan and Joseph had to line up too!

Then it was time for dessert!  Maggie chose chocolate pudding cakes (like a fudgy brownie) with peppermint stick and mint chip ice cream.  JP made the cakes we almost had a recipe malfunction, but he pulled it off and they were delish!  Phil also handed her a yellow rose he had been hiding, which was so sweet and brought me to tears.

And just like that, my sweet baby girl is thirteen.  We love you Maggie in the Middle.  You are a true blessing to our testosterhome, my workout buddy, the little boys' second mama, a kind, humble, and empathetic soul who is beautiful inside and out.  What would we do without you?  I hope we never need to know.