Veronica is the one out of all my kids who I think has changed the most.  Maybe Veronica and then Anthony.  I look at these pictures and it doesn't even seem like she is the same person! So many things are the same though - she is still super smart, still so sweet, she is just doing really well.  She's so funny, she has a lot of little things she says, mostly from Tik Tok and the internet, that just cracks me up.  Apparently there is someone on Tik Tok who speaks really bad Spanish - oh it's not going to be funny if I write it but she's just funny, she has an excellent sense of humor.  This year, Veronica is in a more advanced choir and will go to a few competitions, she has joined the speech and debate team, she goes to crochet club more often, she wants to start driving lessons, she is INVOLVED and ACTIVE.  

Because she is so smart, and she does so well on standardized tests, we have been getting a lot of information from colleges, which is fun.  She wants to be a doctor, a ... radiologist? Neurological radiologist? Could that be right? She doesn't want to see too many patients, which - I mean, she is extremely self aware.  I never really knew and understood an introvert like Veronica, but she needs at least one hour after she gets home from her school of 4000 students to de-people.  Anyway, she wants to read MRI's and diagnose people with brain problems.  I think there is some engineering involved, bio medical engineering, so maybe she wants to go to Purdue? That would be great, Mike is horrified of course but it's such a good school and they freeze tuition for all four years that you're there.  A friend of mine told me a friend of HERS' student goes to DePaul and they have already raised tuition for next year.  It's hard, with college, and what awaits us. I want to be ready but also I am terrified, especially with you know who coming into office.  It's hard to know about job security.  

Anyway, Veronica! She is the greatest, really enjoying school and her friends and friendships.  She loves to go to Barnes and Noble(s).  She joined a Girls Book Club, and she is going on a European trip next year - she will go to Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, won't that be great? She's going with her bff, there's only 25 girls all together, it should be wonderful.  After the holidays, I'll sign her up for driving lessons and keep her on track for that.  She can't get her license until next August so we certainly have some time.  I have friends whose kids do not want to drive but mine all seem to want to.  

Is grade 10 the hardest? I think it is, Veronica is taking two AP classes and all honors classes for the rest, except for choir.  You maybe laugh but Maria is in honors choir! I do not even know.  

Because she has this expensive trip coming up, she is not getting as much for Christmas, but she has requested Doc Martens (cute), silver jewelry and as ever, makeup and skin care.  She loves to wear jeans or sweats, and giant sweatshirts.  This morning she came in my room, seemingly to just chat but I noticed she grabbed an oversized sweatshirt on her way out, ha! Lately she's been wearing a long sleeved shirt under a tshirt with jeans and she looks like Jordan Catalano, adorable! An adorable heartbreaker, just like him.