Grace's 13th Birthday, part 2

If you haven't seen part 1, scroll down and you will see it.

Here Grace is showing how happy she is to have received her new apple iTouch.

Eliana and Maelin getting ready for a bike riding party. Check out the bike Maelin is riding...it's my new Schwinn, which I scored on craigslist, of course.

Off on the bike ride part of Sunday's birthday celebration with Maelin, Dania and Eliana...all friends from school.

I guess she is a happy kid.

Dania and Eliana.

Maelin and Grace.

The Saturday night sleepover party for 2 with Fiona.

All's well that ends well.

A marathon 13th Birthday celebration for Grace

Grace is happy and hopeful about the possibilities of this birthday.

(Note: some of the posts are out of order...so bear with me. Also, for some reason I could not get all of the photos posted on one page. I will post more tomorrow...it will say birthday, part 2.)

Grace and I decorated the house together. Before the celebrating begins she is happy to have received this replacement cell phone due to losing hers' last week...she was bereft all week...you can imagine.

Getting the table ready for a meal for 7: Grace, Betsy and Phern, Melinda and Hannah, Auntie Nancy, and Marta. Grace requested that I prepare her favorite meal: chicken matzoh ball soup...and Chinese chicken salad minus the chicken...and, of course, ice cream cake from our neighborhood Maggie Mudd's ice cream store.

Grace and Auntie Nancy begin the weekend festivities.

Marta, Melinda and Hannah...look who is taller than her mom.

Preparations for our special coming-of-age ritual for Grace: two small candles, one symbolizing childhood and another symbolizing young adulthood; a third white candle to burn throughout the evening. A bowl of rose water with rose petals from our garden.

Grace chooses a candle to symbolize childhood and one to symbolize young adulthood. She lights the candle that symbolizes childhood.

We begin the ritual in a small circle with Betsy and Phern saying to everyone:

Family, friends, Kuan Yin, Goddess in all her forms, we ask for Blessings and Guidance for this ceremony celebrating Grace's transition from childhood to young adulthood.

Betsy and Phern ask Grace:

Are you ready to use your talents and gifts that have been given to you wisely, for the good of both yourself and others?

Will you be careful with everything you do, because all actions have consequences in our world?

Will you treat all people and animals with respect and kindness?

Can you begin to look for opportunities to return the love and care that you have received from your parents, their freinds, your teachers and your friends?

Grace says Yes, and lights the candle symbolizing young adulthood.

Betsy and Phern say:

Through this ritual you have said you are ready to enter the world of young adulthood. Welcome. Now you may also take a special magical name, and of the names you have suggested, we have chosen Allegra to represent your liveliness and capacity for joy.

She is given a special gift: silver earrings.

Auntie Nancy offers a special wish.

The meal begins.

Betsy anoints Grace with the special water that contains rose petals and rose oil.

Phern's Chicken Matzoh Ball soup...a dish that has been perfected over the past 35 years, starting with the recipe from Marta.