It’s been A While. Apologies!! Hard to know where to start, but I’ll begin by noting that Ava Kate turned 12 last month. We celebrated in Nebraska (a couple of times!) with grandparents and some pretty sweet cousins.
At 12, Ava finds us (her parents) to be a bit too intrusive and curious, what with our constant questions (“How was your day?” “What have you been doing in your room for the past five hours?” “Are you hungry?” AWFUL I KNOW.).
When she does communicate with us, it’s primarily via Snapchat, a social media platform that creates picture and video messages that expire seconds after they land in the receiver’s inbox. Inexplicably, she’s usually photographed staring into space just to the left of her camera lens. (Eye contact is so 2016.) I think, though, in the hierarchy of preteen communication, Snapchat is perhaps a titch above texting, so I’m pretty sure that means she loves us.
Fortunately, we do know (through an online reporting system, not through conversation) that she’s doing exceptionally well in her classes. She’s also playing the trumpet – the fourth of four generations. She spends as much time as possible with her friends – especially her best friend Sophia. Also, there may or may not have been a boy in the equation this spring. I don’t know. In any event, it’s probably not something I should report on the blog – especially if it involved flowers on Valentine’s Day.
Ava is biding her time, even humoring us every now and then, until she can make her escape to NYC (at 17, she’ll tell you). She keeps busy by rearranging the furniture in her room at least once a week and building a better wardrobe than I will ever own. She’s creative and smart, and enviably funny. She is exceptionally mature and independent, and we enjoy knowing we can trust her with just about anything. We adore her.
