Katie's 16!

On Friday my baby turned 16. It is hard to believe. Hard to believe first off that I am old enough to have daughters this age and also hard to believe that this wonderful person has been a part of my life for so long already.

Katie is my baby but in many ways she is older and wiser than her years. Katie has always been a very serious person. As an infant you felt like she was studying you when she looked at you- with her unwavering expression. She is always thinking, figuring things out. When Katie started to walk she was just over 10 months old and she literally stood up and walked across the room- no tentative baby steps for her- she had watched, learned and was able to do it and has never turned back.

Katie shares her birthday with the tragedy of 9/11. Whenever people ask her for her birth date and she replies with 9/11 they all look at her with pity in their eyes which is interesting because she had nothing to do with the event - she was only 9 years old when it happened but people just automatically associate that date with sadness- we have worked to over come that for our families- Katie's birthday is always a fun filled event. Every year we head out to The Moose for Katie to get her annual turn at wearing the antlers and getting a pie in the face- it never gets old!

Unfortunately for Katie the driver testing people are on strike so she has so far been denied that right of passage- she was very excited to write her driving test and hit the road. I am ready for her to start driving as well. She certainly is mature enough- the child lived across the ocean for 3 months last year, counselled children all summer at a residential camp and is a grade nine mentor at her high school- I think she can handle the responsibility!
Katie is growing up fast, she is out there in the world doing things- she is an adventurer, open to new things and experiences. She is an organizer, a planner, a thinker- I know that she will continue to make good decisions because she always knows all the facts. She has a great boyfriend who treats her well. I am happy to spend time with Katie- she was gone so much of last year first with her exchange then off to camp-for 20 weeks out of 28 she was not living at home in the spring and summer. I missed her very much and now with Nicole gone out of the house Katie and I get to spend a lot of time together- getting to know each other again.I love it, I love her and I am proud to be the mom of such a wonderful, caring nurturing spirit!