Sweet 16....

My daughter turns 16 next week.  It is a bit painful for me.  Aging....not only her aging, but mine.  It is moving so fast.  Too fast.  It hurts that she is going to be in college in two years.  She is a handful, but is still a hilarious, brilliant, clever, beautiful pain in the ass that I really like to be around.  I am just trying to ride it through the bumpy parts.  She is a teenager.  Need I say  more?  She is the first up in "Birthday Alley."  9 days later her brother turns 14,  11 days later John, then Sev and last up...me.

Our birthday celebrations are quiet family affairs.  They choose dinner, no limits, and I execute.  For years Michaela chose matzoh ball soup, doritos, root beer and a chocolate cake.  After our trip to the UK last summer, she moved to chicken and ham pie, mashed potatoes, mushy peas, sparking cider served in ugly crystal glasses and a red velvet cake adorned with Fez's pic.  Manny changes each year.  Fish and chips, tacos, polpettone, or pasta....and a themed chocolate cake (FIFA, Italian Flag, Russian flag...)  Sev was gnocchi for years and years and a "donut" cake (bundt with sprinkles).  Last year it was linguine alla vongole.  John is gnocchi or osso buco and a red velvet cake.  Me?  I want to go out for Vietnamese food and lychee martinis.  I don't want to cook or do dishes on my birthday.  Oh, I want two Brown Betty's cupcakes.  1 red velvet, 1 coconut.

The kids think about their birthday dinners all year round.  We will be in a restaurant in February and one will ask (usually Sev), "Can you make this, mom?  For my birthday dinner."  I can.  You bet your ass I can.  I love cooking for my family.  Michaela's birthday is next week.  Chicken and ham pie menu for our quiet family dinner.  Sev immediately chimed in, "Can you do a boston cream donut cake?"  The kid likes donuts.

16 is a big deal.  In addition to her family birthday, she will go out with some friends.  They will don their sundresses and wear uncomfortable high heels.  She would like sushi at Umai, but it is so tiny.  Maybe Han Dynasty, but she wants something a bit fancy.  John is torturing her and telling her that as long as her brothers attend, she can pick absolutely any restaurant.  She fumes.  John is kidding, but he will not say so.  Her anger is too funny.  She is running out of time.  She needs to decide.


Sixteen...I only have a few more precious years of her daily laughter and eye rolling.