Dawn Is Me

I haven’t been in here in a little while, so I haven’t told you yet that we’ve had something of an event in the Baker household.

Gina has had a birthday.

Not just any birthday, either. Gina turned 20 last Saturday.

Now, compared with either 18 or 21, you may not think of 20 as all that big a deal. Ah, but you see, turning 20 (as Gina herself pointed out to … somebody) means you are officially no longer a teenager.

It’s funny, we notice things like the “official” beginning of teenagerdom at the age of 13. I’m sorry to say that I,for one, had never considered its natural end at age 20.

This is why I need children, to teach me these things.

As events have unfolded, I soon had real and tangible proof that Gina is, indeed, no longer a teenager.

You see, a couple of months ago, in a moment of sisterly initiation, I happened to see her carefully instructing her younger sister. “Rule number one of being a teenager,” she told Kimmie. “You must have your cell phone with you at all times.”

So, the day before yesterday, when I heard Kimmie yelling at Gina (who had just gone downstairs) that she’d gotten a text message, I realized that she really truly had passed beyond teenagerdom.

Welcome to the world of the Grown Up, Gina!

Anyway, I’m about to head into the kitchen with my teenaged daughter and my no-longer-a-teenaged daughter to start baking pies. That’s ’cause TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING AND DIETING BE DAMNED!

-ahem- Excuse me.

Happy Turkey Day to anybody who might stumble upon these ramblings. Do stop to ponder things you are thankful for between bites. I’m sure there’s something …

I fail as a parent.

Kimmie — beautiful, witty, darling Kimmie — came to me, humbly asking my opinion, and I was unable to satisfy her.

She asked, “Mom, have my boobs gotten bigger?”

And I was forced to reply, “You know, Kimmie, I don’t know. I don’t really spend all that much time staring at your boobs.”

How terrible is that? Her own mother, and I didn’t even notice!!!

I FAIL!!!

Seriously, though, it’s kind of amazing to me that so many people in my family seem preoccupied with Kimmie’s boobs. I mean, there are so many other interesting things to think about. For that matter, there are so many other much more interesting things to ponder about Kimmie.

But, between Gina and Kimmie and their comparative boob conversation, and Ricky trying to get on her good side by saying nice things about them to her (which is decidedly bizarre all by itself), and Derek humoring her, we have recently become a very mammorily conversant family.

I know I’ve said this before but … hey, I just live here.

Before this amazing week is completely gone, I wanted to give a brief nod to the historic event most of us watched on Tuesday afternoon.

Not being much given to schlock, I won’t gush. But I do want to share a musical tribute to the event recorded by Da G.

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[-sniff- Mother is so very proud of you, darling ... ]