Colin,
You are thirteen years old! This year you dealt with a lot of change- moving to a new house, a new neighborhood, and then unexpectedly switching to a new middle school after the school year had already started. Oh boy. I know these transitions were hard, especially changing schools in 7th grade. But I’m so proud of how you’ve risen to the task. You’ve found some great friends, charmed your teachers (as we all knew you would) and have straight As so far.

This year your love of chess has really developed… and you’re incredibly good at it! You started weekly private lessons on Zoom and you’ve defeated every chess-playing-family-member with ease. You spend lots of your free time playing chess online to hone your skills. I’m excited to get you into the after-school chess club next semester.
Speaking of after school clubs, you really took the opportunity to get involved in your new school. You do band, D+D club, flag football (where you won the coveted Mustang award at the end of the season!), and film making club.

Your creativity continues to amaze me. You’re always on the lookout for discarded cardboard so you can dream up a new creation. Even your STEAM teacher remarked that you’re surprising her with the unique ways you approach problems.
You say you want to be the ‘least-teenagery-teenager-there-ever-was’ and have resisted our attempts to setup your cell phone. We’ll see if your feelings change now that you’re officially 13. Time sure flies.
I’m so lucky to be your mom, Colin!
Love, Mom
See more letters to Colin: the first year I two years I three years I four years I five years I six years I seven years I eight years I nine years I ten years I eleven years I twelve years