Rooney is 12!
Happy 12th birthday to my beautiful, kind, smart and funny daughter! Rooney is one of my favorite people to spend time with, whether we are binging “Kids Baking Championship” (and laughing because neither of us knows how to bake but we sure talk like we can), belting Taylor Swift in the car, watching “Gilmore Girls” or re-watching “The Baby-Sitters Club,” running errands, or cheering on the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Seeing Taylor Swift in concert together was absolutely unforgettable. She’s my little buddy!
According to The Screentime Consultant, 75% of the time we spend with our kids in our lifetime will be spent by age 12. It is such a blessing to be her parent, and it is really hitting me lately how quickly her time at home is dwindling. I have never parented a 12-year-old before and often have to ask her to be patient with me, as we are regularly encountering things together for the very first time.
This year she started middle school, which has been a shift in many ways. Her social life is so important to her and she typically has a sleepover lined up every weekend. In the past year she was involved in softball, student council, school choir, band (flute), church choir, confirmation, math counts, and poetry. She loves Taylor Swift, staying up late, traveling, jumping on the trampoline, dancing, ice cream and watching TV.
Physically she has grown a ton in the past year! She is 5’7” and wears bigger shoes than I do. It is incredible to think she might be taller than me someday!
Rooney got to spend her birthday at Disney World! We planned our trip so that she could choose which park to go to on our last day. She picked Hollywood Studios so she could ride her favorite ride, Tower of Terror, two more times. We spent 12 hours at the park celebrating her 12th year of life!
The next weekend she invited 11 girls over for a birthday party sleepover. I don’t think they slept much, but they had a lot of fun!
INTERVIEW
In keeping with our birthday tradition, I interviewed her using the same questions I ask every year, and it’s been so fun to see which of her answers change and which stay consistent.
Grade in school: sixth
Favorite color: pink & orange
Favorite fruit: watermelon
Favorite movie: “The Eras Tour”
Favorite food: crab rangoons
Favorite board game: LIFE
Favorite animal: zebra
Favorite candy: Nerds gummy clusters
Favorite restaurant: Cane’s
If you could change one family rule, what would it be? don’t have to pay [tokens] for sleepovers
Favorite trip you’ve ever been on: Disney World
Favorite song: “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
Favorite book: ”Front Desk”
Best friends: Finley, Emma, Ivory, Jade, Sammy, Eva, Ari, Addie, Tenley, Destiny, Jules, Ajla
Favorite drink: lemonade
What you want to be when you grow up? interior designer
What’s something you want to learn? to do a cartwheel
What are you looking forward to about being 12? I’m almost a teenager
Favorite vegetable: celery
What are you scared of? when you’re outside and it’s dark
Favorite chore: cleaning toilets
Least favorite chore: putting my laundry away
Favorite subject at school: English
Bedtime: 9:00 pm
Shoe size: 10.5-11
Favorite thing to do with mom: shop and watch shows
Favorite thing to do with dad: softball
Favorite thing to do with Finch: play Roblox
Favorite nickname: Roo
What do you want for your birthday? AirPods
What are you good at? softball
How many loose teeth do you have? Zero … I forgot about losing teeth. I never do it anymore.
Favorite TV shows: “Kids Baking Championship,” Gilmore Girls,” “Alexa & Katie,” “Just Add Magic,” “The Baby-Sitters Club”
Favorite sport to play: softball
Favorite sports to watch: basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, softball
Rooney,
They say there is no worse relationship than a 15-year-old daughter and her mother. We are just three years away from that! I pray that we continue to talk openly, to trust each other, to learn from each other, to listen to each other, to put our relationship before rules. We are a strong team against any problem that comes at us. Let’s work together until we find the right solution.
You are my favorite 12-year-old. No one else comes close. Remember that.
xoxo,
Mom