11 years ...

Big celebrations in our house this morning, as Charlotte turned 11. Bethany is most concerned that Charlie hasn't got a birthday badge yet, as apparently you must have a badge on your birthday (Mental note, make sure Bethany has a badge on her birthday), whilst Charlie is convinced she's grown a bit since she was 10 (Which would 07:38 this morning, as she was born at 07:39).

That said she has a busy birthday weekend as she's at a ball tonight at the church group she attends, and 'performing' and rehersing all weekend for the theatre group she's in. I also get to put a stage up tomorrow morning, and be bored senseless both Saturday and Sunday afternoons during rehersals whilst holding my bass guitar ...

It's hard to take in that I now have an 11 year old daughter (If someone could post a comment saying I'm much too young, I'd appreciate it). Even now I experience something new in fatherhood almost daily - as I often tell Charlotte, I've not had an 11 year old daughter before so I'm learning on the job. She knows that it's different with Bethany, as I can fall back to when I had a 5 year old Charlotte and how I dealt with that and adjust accordingly.

My 11 year old daughter doesn't dream of being a ballerina anymore (Which is good, we never did send her to lessons), but does still harbour the dream of being a singer or the actress replacing Billie in Doctor Who - failing that she's going to be a fashion designer apparently. She's discovered make-up and is trying to grow long nails ... She's particular about the way she dresses, and has her own opinion of what goes with what, often the opposite of her mother.

But she is still a Daddy's girl ...

As yet, she hasn't discovered boys ... But when she does, I pity whomever she hooks up with as he's going to have quite a few male members (And even more scary, female members) of our family to deal with ... I did plan on her marrying Brooklyn Beckham, but we'll see.

She's going off football and won't have an Ipswich season ticket next season (Especially as hers leapt up in price by £149! And that's her with Alan Lee, her favourite player bar none .. Even if he does now play for our rivals!), and her music tastes are becoming more varied - I was DJ at the school disco last night, and was told in no uncertain terms that High School Musical and Hannah Montana are sooooo out ... (Yet she'll sit and watch both if on TV!). Who the buggeration is Lady Gaga?! Charlotte knows apparently ...

But .. she's always going to be my little girl, even when her own little girl or boy is blowing snot bubbles out of their nose ...