Growing Up

It seems like PS has really grown up over the last few months, both physically and metaphorically. It makes sense--she's 13 and starting high school next year. But I'm not adjusting well to her new-found independence and the idea that she will be going off to college in only 4 short years.

She has grown several inches taller over the last year, finally surpassing the 5-foot mark.She used to be the smallest in her class, and while she's still on the smaller end of the spectrum, she's no longer the smallest. And she's filled out. We can finally buy junior's sizes in regular stores, instead of having to head out to junior's specialty stores. (There is a huge difference between an Old Navy size 0 and an AF or Delia's* size 0.)

She has developed her own unique sense of style. It trends a little goth, with a lot of black and skulls, but without the black eyeliner and Docs. And lots of ironic T-shirts. Our latest purchase is a pair of black Chuck Taylors.

And she has started spending more time with friends and less time with mom. She's had a phone for a while, but only over the last few months has the texting been ever-present in typical teenager fashion. And last week she informed me that all of her friends were going to see the Hunger Games after their theater performance, dashing my hopes of some mom/daughter time.

But I did get to take her and a friend to see her favorite band this week. She got the tickets for Christmas and has been waiting impatiently.  Unfortunately, all "seating" was standing-room only general admission, and I was envisioning mass hysteria with thousands of screaming girls shoving my petite PS to the back of the crowd.

Luckily, the venue was a smaller one, and it has an attached restaurant.  I got an email right before the concert that if we ate there, we got priority seating for the concert. And so we arrived early, had over-priced burgers, and were among the first 30 or so people in the door.  PS and her friend were dead center, right in front of the stage!!! (I went to get her a shirt, so I was a couple of people-rows behind them when I came back.)

It was indeed hysteria, with the crowd constantly pushing forward (I am too old for the pit!), but PS and her friend were able to hold their place and had a great view for the entire concert.  And I even caught a guitar pick that one of the band members threw. PS told me over and over how awesome the experience was. That's about as good as it gets for a mom of a teenager.


*BTW Delia's is a great place to buy jeans for petite girls.  The go down to a size 00 and they have several lengths for each size.