The big 13. This is the birthday where the child becomes a teenager and the parents get to feel a bit older. I do not remember feeling like asking “where did the time go” since I turned 30. I have to say that it is a weird birthday. She is already starting to put away her toys and she is asking for make-up and clothes now. She wonders when she will get a cell phone and she wants more money for stuff.

A great many people showed up for this birthday. More than I think have shown up to anybody’s birthday at this house ever. We had all the people that live here, which is Deanna, Grandma, Patty, Eddy, and I. Kristy showed up and Michelle was here visiting for the weekend. Becky showed up with her two kids as well. It was a good thing the weather was so nice that we could do all the cooking and eating outside, because I do not think we would have had much room to seat that many people in my tiny dining room.

Patty got all the presents she asked for, for the most part anyway. She also asks regularly for a laptop and a cell phone, but those things are not going to happen anytime soon. Patty got new clothes, posters for her wall, a Justin Bieber CD (I still think in this world of downloading music on the internet it is important to be able to give people the physical media that they can listen to and give away to their friends if they want), and a Betta. The last one is a fish that apparently her mother has, so she wanted one too.