Sweet 16!!

 

My girl, Amara Pearl is turning 16. It is mind blowing. 

Each year, when I do her birthday blog, I can't believe how fast life is flying by; how quickly Amara is growing up and all the changes that a year has brought.

This is what 15 was like for Amara.

Amara continues to thrive at Bentley. There have been a few hiccups but with support from family, outside support and the school, Amara continues to do her work, do it well, play sports, socialize and be just her same fabulous self.

Recently, Amara and Aniya have taken BART by themselves. Amara then took the BART from school to Aniya's in El Cerrito and they went to their first concert together (no parents!) in SF.

Amara has been learning to drive. She has her permit. She has done drivers ed and is looking forward to taking her driver license test later this summer. Her other close friend, Anja, got her license and has driven over to visit. Sometimes it is too much to take in!

Last Fall, Amara got selected to go to London for 8 days of learning about Shakespeare. She left in February for her first international trip without her family. A seasoned traveler, she was excited about this opportunity. She saw plays, visited Oxford, fell in love with Strasburg, ate "the best Indian food ever" and did a ton of shopping. I happened to be in Istanbul (on my way back from Uganda/Rwanda) when she left. I did not see her for almost a month, but thanks to Facetime we checked in daily. Even though I did not love that I did not see her for that long,  I was very happy that she could hold her own and was off on her own travel adventures with her sweet group of school friends.

Amara had her hair dyed teal in December. We then did touch ups at home, resulting in a very blue bathtub but she looked magical and radiant!

Amara and Havana grow closer. They are sisters so there are moments when I have to referee but they do each others hair, makeup and ask each other for advice (when they are not annoyed with each other or ignoring each other).

Amara is obsessed with clothing. I had to put a cap on that. Especially after Uganda, where I realized we had way too much. She understood when I shared about balance. But she is a teen!

Amara remains up for an adventure. She will try new things; loves to hike; loves new (vegetarian) food and just life in general. 

Amara also has had moments where life did not feel so great. She is a teen. Confidence, anxiety, a rigorous academic environment, they can take a toll at times. Amara often comes home from school and takes a nap, before getting her homework done. Sports had her home late much of the year. 

Amara played tennis this past year. She liked that. She loved returning to soccer and when she joined the lacrosse team, she quickly discovered that was not her sport. She came to realize that two sports a school year is much healthier and that there is a need for balance, rest and recouping. Good things to learn at an early age.

Amara sold Girl Scout cookies for her 11th year. With so many other commitments and her trip to England she cut it way back but still managed to sell almost 400 boxes. 

Amara is a joy to have a daughter. She is a thoughtful and kind human. She looks out for her family, friend, community and the planet. These things have always been part of who Amara is. She landed on this planet with a mission and purpose, wise beyond her years and with a passion to live life fully and with joy and excitement. I am so honored she choose me as her mama.

Happy Birthday Amara Pearl.