It’s hard to create an album for a teenager!  I mean, when she was little, she loved anything I did just because it was for her and about her.  Now, she criticizes a page because I include a picture of her that she considers "dorky" or I write half a page about the sites she’s visited.  Everything has to look "cool" but she’s not interested in helping to make it that way so I’ve basically told her, "stuff it, it’s a gift."

In my unending quest to get this thing finished, I went back to my list of layouts needed and decided to document her first concert in Germany.  Her very favorite band is Simple Plan (has been since they opened for Avril Lavigne many years ago) and they just happened to be on tour in Germany right after we moved here.  We’d been to their show in San Diego the November before, so we knew when to plan our trip to Berlin.

simpleplanconcert_small

She’ll see it when she gets home later this afternoon (yes, she knows about this gift - I couldn’t get many of the pictures, otherwise) and I’m sure I’ll probably hear about how I used terrible pictures of her (they’re all I’ve got), I didn’t feature David enough (he’s her favorite band member) and her brother’s in three (THREE!!!) of the pictures (he was there, the guys loved him and it was his very first concert.)

So what does it take to impress the teen set?  I’m not sure but I think she secretly likes it but doesn’t want to say so to me.  Kinda like if I bought her a top she’d hate it but if her friends wore the same thing she’d be begging me to get it for her.  I read the Twilight series of books by Stephanie Meyer (a fun, easy read - don’t let the number of pages discourage you - with a new take on vampirism and lycanthropy) and suggested that she’d probably enjoy them but she refused - vehemently.  Then she read a few spoilers and quotes from her online friends and read about the movies and she did a complete 180.  Now it’s the best thing ever written and she’s forgotten that I ever read it.

I’ve become irrelevant in her life.  I know it’s a phase and she’ll recover in adulthood but, in the meantime, I miss my baby.

Tschüss!

Layout Credits: Background paper and epoxy guitar by Susan Fitch, pinned frame by Katie Pertiet and template by GinaMaria.  Look for the template soon.  You know I’ll share.