Nine

Posted on December 23, 2007    Posted by      46 Comments

My daughter’s nine today. And packin’ tude. So watch out.

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46 Comments on “Nine”

  5. If you think she’s packing ‘tude now, wait until she’s on the cusp of 13 like my eldest. Talk about large and in charge.

  8. Happy birthday to the lovely young Scalzi from all the way down in Aus. =)

    (And I must say, gutsy move there, naming your daughter after a Goddess of Wisdom.)

  10. It’s also my mother’s birthday today. She’s 66 years old. Now she’s exactly twice as old as I am, which is funny to think about.

    Happy birthday, Athena! I hope you have a nice day!

  12. Happy birthday, Athena! Watching you grow up through your father’s eyes has been a true delight. Have a terrific birthday and a great Christmas!

  13. Happy birthday to Athena, and may I recommend you invest in Kleenex for the next year.

    Not that I know who’ll need it more.

  17. Happy Birthday for Athena! Mine’s tomorrow, but I’m ahead of her by three decades. She’s never gonna catch up….

  20. Happy Birthday, Athena! I’m going to assume that you informed your parents early on about the evil of combination birthday/Christmas gifts? Because it totally sucked when I was growing up.

    We who celebrate December birthdays need to put an end to this sorry practice once and for all! And rest assured that my son, with whom I share a birthday, never had to suffer that fate.

  23. Skinny Guy,

    I just went (on the 19th) to a party for my friends’ daughter’s first birthday.

    As my Mom’s birthday is on the 16th, and she never had birthday parties as a kid, I agree that it’s important to separate out birthdays from Christmas.

  27. Happy birthday Athena (and Yanni and Tania’s Grandmother) – and since it seems to be obligatory in the comments, I’ll mention my Grandmother is 90 today.

  28. Happy Birthday Athena!
    And happy Birthday to Yanni, Tania’s grandmother, and Evil’s grandmother.

  30. Random Michele K,

    My son and I are both fortunate that my wife came from a family with December well represented in the birthday department. She made certain that our b-days were never confused with Christmas.

  32. Happy Birthday Athena!
    You should institute a policy of gifts on your half-birthday too because 363 days between gift giving occasions is just too long.

  37. Happy Birthday Athena!

    —–sharks (22 December, so I always look like that this time of year too :-) )

  40. Born two days before Xmas, no wonder she has ‘tude. I think December kids should celebrate 1/2 birthdays in July.

  41. You know, she looks grumpier than a badger with a rash.

    Athena, if it hasn’t happened already, you’ll have a new set of nerves coming online soon. They’re called stretch receptors, and they tell you where your limbs and such are even when you’re not looking.

    When I was about your age, back in 1963, I got to take part in a study. A grad student from San Diego State College (now San Diego State University) take a bunch of us out to some playground equipment at our school and had us do a few things for him. One of my favorites was walking around on the sandbox bench (wooden) backwards, with my eyes closed. We were able to do things like that because our stretch receptors were working, and telling us where we were and what our bodies were doing even without seeing. Once your stretch receptors go into action you won’t believe how you got along without them.

    Another thing that happens to kids your age is that your sense of touch becomes more sensitive. Along with your new sense of your body and the hormones now rampaging through you, it means you’re going to have the strong urge to go skyclad whenever possible. That is, naught upon your skin. This is normal, most every girl your age goes through this. But keep your dad in mind, there will be times when going nude is simply not the right thing to do. And there are adults who have hissy fits at the sight of naked flesh.

    You’ve got more growth spurts on the way, and your pre-frontal lobes will be growing in in about a year or so. You’re now entering a stage of life where you and dad will see more changes than at any time since your first two years of life. A lot of them will be scary, but in time you’ll become a very different person than you are now, and join the ranks of all the fine ladies you now wish you were one of.

    Just remember, a lot of women have gone through what you’ll be going through. Odds are you’ll make it just fine. But spare a thought or two for your poor dad, he has to start thinking of boyfriends where you’re concerned. :)

  42. I think December kids should celebrate 1/2 birthdays in July.

    My wife was born right after Xmas. I make sure to take her out on her half-birthday, and once a year not-in-December-or-January do something random with a gift and tell her it’s for her birthday. (One reason she puts up with me.)

  43. Alan Kellogg:

    That was very kind of you to say. However, in this particular case, she looks moody because I pointed the camera at her and said “look moody!”

  44. Scalzi sez: That was very kind of you to say. However, in this particular case, she looks moody because I pointed the camera at her and said “look moody!”

    She might have an acting career ahead of her if she takes direction that well. :)

  45. #43 John Scalzi,

    She does grumpy well. :)

    You’re welcome BTW.

    Be sure to be on the look out for sudden displays of affection and random acts of romanticism. It’s normal, but it can be disconcerting when you’re used to the more aloof 8 year old.

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Athena Scalzi, editor – AMS
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