It’s a family tradition here at the Scalzi household to awaken our daughter on her birthday with a flaming pastry, usually a birthday cake. This year, however, she turns thirteen, and to celebrate the initial transformation into a teen, we changed things up a bit and presented her with a pie. And yes, because I am a nerd, I did in fact say “the cake is a pie” to her. But never mind that now.
I could go on at this point about the fact that my daughter is now a teenager, and all the implications of that fact and how much I am proud of her for being such a remarkable person even at this young age, but at the moment I am content just to be happy with the fact my daughter exists in this world. I am going to leave it at that for right now.
But I would like to share something with you on my daughter’s thirteenth birthday: The song that was playing in the delivery room the moment she was born. I think it’s beautiful, as she is.
To my daughter: Happy birthday. I love you.
To everyone else: Happy Athenamas! Say “Happy Athenamas!” to everyone you meet today! Because why not.
Happy Birthday Athena! Happy Athenamas everyone!
Better Athenamas than anathemas. Happy happy!
Happy birthday, Athena!
Happy birthday Athena!
Happy Athenamas to all of you!
(I wouldn’t admit this to every proud father, but I initially read that as “Anathemamas”.)
Happy Athenamas!
Happy birthday, Athena, and may you never regret being born so close to Christmas.
Happy birthday, Athena !
May all your teenage years be filled with learning and love.
Happy Birthday, Athena! Long life and good health to you!
Happy Birthday, Athena! Have a great year.
Happy Athenamas, Happy Athenagras, let the festivities begin!
Happy Athenamas! And Happy Birthday Athena!
Happy birthday kiddo – I hope you never forget how lucky you are to have the family you do – I don’t think your folks ever forget how lucky they are.
Happy Birthday to the young one. Feel free to pass on my email address to her for teenage plotting assistance!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ATHENA!
Happy Athenamas, Everyone!
:)
Happy Birthday, Athena!
Happy Birthday! “Waltz Across Texas” is a great song to be born to.
::genuine Texan stamp of approval::
Happy Birthday Athena! Hope the day and the coming year is filled with joy!
Happy Birthday to Athena! It’s nice that you share this with us.
Happy Birthday, Athena!
Happy birthday, Athena!!! Now that you’ve made it to your teenage years, it’s really time to start torturing your father.
And just an FYI should you care, when my son arrived into this world, the delivery room was blaring with Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord”.
Oh, goodness, that’s right. Happy Birthday, kiddo!
When I read your post my prankster mind autocratically presumes you are visiting her in the wee hours of the AM. I mean really, getting awakened at 2:30am for a flaming pie, who is going to have an issue with that?
So just how early is it in that photo?
And…. Happy Athenamas!
Scalzi snark + Teenager snark.
Wow…
I am expecting great things.
Happy Athenamas!
to myself at 9:52 “automatically”
Happy Birthday Athena. What a great song to initiate you into the world. EmmyLou Harris is one of my favourite singers.
Happy birthday, Athena!
Happy Athenamas to you!
Happy Athenamas to you!
Happy Athenamas, dear Athena!
Happy Athenamas to you!
Happy Birthday, Athena! Today’s my son Paul’s 13th birthday as well…his mom baked him a Black Forest cake!
Hope both of you have a great day and awesome teenage-hoods!
Saying “Happy Athenamas” sounds like some Greek winter solstice festival. Which only makes it cooler, in my opinion.
Happy brithday, Athena!
Have a wonderful day, Athena.
Happy birthday to Athena. Did you get her an owl as a present?
Also, Mr Scalzi, you should select a prominent display location for the obligatory shotgun issued to fathers of teenaged daughters. I understand that the Bradford Fathers for ‘Murikan Values will be delivering yours on Monday, 26 December, due to the holiday rush, but it’s not too early to make sure that potential romantic (or hormonal) “companions” can see the shotgun as they come in the front door. Just make sure that Daisy knows where the ammo is (you can’t trust cats with shotgun shells).
Very awesome of you to make her day special even though it is so close to Christmas! I always hated the whole “combine them both” thing and my birthday is early in December.
Many happy returns to the new teen!
Happy Birthday, Athena!
Hippo Birdie Two Ewes!
Happy Athenamas! I hope the world is ready for you Ms. Scalzi, because something tells me you are going to take it by storm – no prisoners, no excuses, no quarter. Which is fabulous.
Happy birthday Athena!
Happy birthday Athena!
Happy Birthday Athena!
Have a very happy birthday, Athena!
Happy Athenamas, everybody — and especially to Athena!
The year I tuned 13 was the year my dad started going gray. I still maintain this was pure coincidence.
Hau`oli Lā Hānau from Hawai’i, Athena!
Happy thirteeenth birthday, Athena. (My dad said to me on my thirteenth birthday, don’t drop any mirrors, but, hey, kid it’s still seven years bad luck.)
But I have suspicions that your teenage years might be seven years of good luck, exploration, discovery, and plain ol’ good times, and I hope they are. Wishing you the happiest of Athenamasses.
Happy Birthday, Athena! Hope the cake-pie tasted as cool/good as it looks in the picture!
Happy Athenamas!
Happy Birthday, Athena.
And yes, because I am a nerd, I did in fact say “the cake is a pie” to her.
And smack your father for me, would you please?
I kept reading Athenamas as Anathemas, which is not nearly as fun-sounding, really.
happy birthday, stranger’s daughter!
Happy birthday, Athena.
It’s funny that I was trying to remember how old Athena is just this morning. I have a step sister who looks like Athena, and I was trying to work out the age difference (about two years). That’s the approximate age difference between my son and step sister (ugh).
Happy birthday, Athena!
You’re obviously a very well loved daughter. That’s not everything, but it’s a hell of a good start.
Happy birthday, Athena!
Well, I don’t know about anyone else, but I am outraged – OUTRAGED! – about this whole “Happy Athenamas” greeting. I mean, it excludes anyone who isn’t named Athena, and I WON’T STAND FOR IT! IT’S A WAR ON NON-ATHENAS OF THE WORLD!
[Sorry, hit enter before I was done with that post...]
I’m joking, of course. I wish Athena nothing but utmost happiness and joy. Blessings on your special day, young one!
Happy Birthday Athena!!
Happy Birthday, Athena – from one whose birthday is also today (though a few years before yours)…
I hope your day is as fine as mine is turning out to be.
Happy Birthday, Athena!
Happy Birthday Athena!
Happy happy, Athena. Welcome to the teens.
Happy Athenamas, Athena!
Athena is 363 days older than my daughter Bridgit. I have been offically forbidden from making TEOTWAWKI jokes even though Bridgit becomes a teen on 12-21-2012.
Happy Belated Athenamas, Athena!
Happy Birthday, Athena!
And, John, as another almost-xmas-baby (mine falls on Athenamas Eve), I applaud you and Krissy on taking the time during the hectic holiday season to make Athena’s day special and important. I didn’t appreciate how difficult and extraordinary it was that my parents did that for me till recently recently.
Late to the party, but happy, happy birthday, Athena!
Happy Athenas and may I add that my grandnephew was born on December 23, 2011..Happy Dennistos!!!
In 1989 the Government of Japan made Athena’s birthday (and mine) a national holiday. Forethoughtful of them.
Happy belated birthday, Athena!
Happy Belated Athenamas!
Rats. Haven’t been on in days and missed the Athenamas party! Happy belated Athenamas everyone!
Also, happy belated birthday, Athena.