And here she is today in all her grown up (sort of) gorgeousness, her eyes definitely open.
I took her and her best friend Beccy out for a manicure and pedicure yesterday, a first for both girls. We then went clothes shopping, for lunch at the Japanese Noodle Bar and then the girls went swimming in a really great leisure pool facility. The day was not an unmitigated success however, as I hadn't taken into account about how Grace might feel about having her toes picked, cuticles clipped and heels pared by a small Vietnamese lady who couldn't speak English. I had hoped for 'pampered and relaxed', but mainly she felt 'anxious and confused'. You'd think, after living with a child with High Functioning Autism for 16 years, I would know better by now. Also, the shopping thing...Grace doesn't like it...but it was just to fill in time between engagements. She loved the noodles and the swimming though, so that was something.
Today, we woke her up and gathered her into the big bed as is our family tradition, for the ceremonial opening of gifts. I think she was pleased with them, though it's so hard to tell with Grace.
According to the police website, Grace can now legally:Buy cigarettes or tobacco
Leave school
Choose your own doctor
Claim social security benefit
Work full time
Leave home with your parents’ consent
Get married with one parent’s consent
Drink wine or beer with a meal in a restaurant
Hold a licence to drive a moped
Buy a ticket in the National Lottery
Grace asked if she could watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on DVD after church. I said I didn't think she'd have the time, what with all the drinking, smoking and gambling she's meant to do today.
~Live-Well-Laugh-Often-Love-Much-Posters.jpg)
9 comments:
Very, very happy birthday Grace :).
Happy Birthday, Grace! What a fun day. I would love a manicure and pedicure, but I can understand about having someone else touch your feet! :-)
You folks sure let your youngster do a lot more after they turn 16 than over here in the USA.
Dorothy, I think you should have won the most humorous blog award, too. I was cracking up at your final paragraph! Happy Birthday to Grace! What a beautiful picture of her in bed opening her presents!
Happy Birthday! WOW.. that's a very long list of things to do for a 16 year old... sigh....
Interesting to see what "kids" can do at 16!
Happy Birthday, Grace! (And Mom and Dad!)
Happy Birthday, Grace! Sounds like a fun day. I hope she had time for her movie after all those other things on her check list. :)
Not sure if I have left a message or not so sorry if this comes through twice - I am password challenged and this was about my 299th attempt!
A very happy belated birthday Grace. Glad you had a lovely day. Keep off the ol' ciggies - they age you! ;-)
Happy Birthday to Grace, sorry I'm a little bit late. I hope you went and bought a lottery ticket, a moped, a beer or wine with your meal, got married, left school, etc etc etc by now. LOL your Mum is so so silly.
For Dorothy, not sure what I was dong 16 years ago but it was probably in England...I should have visited you in hospital! Except I didn't know you and had never heard of home schooling, never mind know I'd be on an email list with loads of HS'ers.
Congrats on being a Mum for 16 whole years!
Belated, happy birthday to Grace. Fun to read the list of things a 16 year old can do over your way.
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