Annnnd....she's 12!!!

Holy Moly was it loud in my home Friday night.  During the planning of Lila's party I started feeling bad about not doing a party for Emry so I turned to her one evening and said "Emry, would you like to have some friends over for a birthday party?"

Not five minutes later she came back with a list of games they would play and invitations she had made on the computer. Apparently she had given it some thought and was just waiting for me to say the word.

They were the cutest, nerdiest invitations ever.  There was some crazy math equation on it and Emry wrote that whoever could solve it could keep all her birthday gifts.

The food was so low key it was embarrassing, but it was all stuff Emry wanted and after the previous party I was more than happy to get pizzas at Costco, open a few bags of chips, put out the rest of the Halloween candy and call it good.

Here is Emry and 3 of her friends that are in "Fiddler On The Roof" with her doing a dance number from the play for everyone.  Theater geeks unite.

Seriously though Emry is a dream come true for me.  I was the shyest most insecure kid ever so to see her just be herself, work it, live it & not care what anyone thinks, I couldn't be happier for her.

The kids did a scavenger hunt in our neighborhood, a guess the celebrity when they were young game, put on crazy clothes when the music stops game and a find the swedish fish in a tin of whip cream game.  Good times.

To my first born, my darling daughter who will be taller than me any day now.  The one I go to when I need a reminder on how to retrieve a text message, help with the printer, or anything having to do with my nemesis technology.  The one who dances with me, cleans my bathrooms and will snuggle in my bed by my side to read.  The kid I have to remind to maybe eat a meal before dishing up a humongous bowl of ice cream.  The one I pin all my hopes and dreams on.  Too much?  Ok, but you're so smart, charismatic and fun I wish it were Freaky Friday and I could trade places with you.  You took the best of me, the best of your dad, added in spunk, laughter and a killer curiosity and came to be the funnest, cutest 12 year old I ever met.   Love you more than pony heaven (& that's the highest heaven).

Emry turns 11