Today is my daughter Leah’s sixteenth birthday. How the heck did that happen? I remember writing about her tenth birthday during the first week that I had this blog. She was just a little girl then hitting the double digits and now she seems (almost) a grown woman. Leah has matured so much during the past six years and yet she is still the same funny, sweet, crazy, smart, beautiful, creative redhead I’ve always known.
The biggest change for Leah at the moment is that she is in the process of “unschooling” herself. Although she loved her high school and was a straight-A student, she recently left the traditional educational system and is going off on her own. She takes the California High School Proficiency Exam in March and will be creating her own curriculum of classes, internships, traveling, reading, and learning. Another autodidact in the family! She created an extensive PowerPoint presentation for us a few months ago to explain her decision and to address all of our concerns and it was pretty impressive. Her teachers were surprised, sad to lose her, but very supportive.
Still, there’s a lot of criticism out there for people who want to push the envelope and do things a different way, and I give Leah a lot of credit for being able to withstand the pressure to conform to other people’s ideas of what is best. It takes a hell of a lot of initiative to do what she’s doing and I’m so proud of her. . There are people who think we’re nuts for allowing Leah to leave a great school where she was doing so well but I have every confidence in her abilities. Leah still plans to go to college in two years and I’m sure she’ll be a better candidate as a result of this experience. God knows I wish I took a break between high school and college instead of advancing from one institution to the other like a mechanized automaton without being able to take full advantage of the opportunities at my feet.
Leah recently appeared in what is at least her 35th musical, her second production of “Annie” in which she played one of the orphans. I recently found the footage I thought I lost when my computer was stolen a few years ago of Leah in the title role of that play from December 2005. Oh, how young she looks and how amazing it always is for me to see my daughter take center stage with such confidence and abandon. Forgive me, I can't help including a short clip here for posterity:
From the day she was born (literally!) I’ve been singing a certain song to Leah and it’s hard to believe the lyrics are finally accurate. This morning my daughter asked me with a bit of fear in her voice if I’d now be singing this song to her every day for the next year. The answer is…YES! Sorry!
Happy Birthday, Leah! I love you!
Happy birthday, Leah!
God bless you and your family, Danny.
Posted by: Mark Daniels | December 28, 2010 at 04:27 PM
One of my favorite songs and scenes in a movie, in spite of the sexist and heterosexist messages. Happy birthday, Leah and be glad you are 16 in this day and age!
Posted by: Shari | December 28, 2010 at 04:42 PM
Danny, Leah is so lovely! Best wishes to her in this new adventure!
Posted by: Peggy Shecket | December 28, 2010 at 04:44 PM
Happy Birthday, Leah! A courageous girl with a supportive family.
Posted by: Melinda | December 28, 2010 at 05:09 PM
Yay for Leah. Both of my kids and most of their friends were unschooled. We skipped the CHSPE and they went directly to community college about the same age. Leah has gained so much time to focus on what is important to her.
Rebecca
Posted by: Rebecca D | December 28, 2010 at 05:19 PM
She is such an amazing girl. Happy Birthday, Beauty. Leah, Danny...not you! xo
Posted by: [email protected] | December 28, 2010 at 05:26 PM
Wow, what a milestone! I remember so well the cherubic baby with the flaming red curls. Happy birthday, Léah, and mazel tov, Danny!
Gros bisous,
Sheila
Posted by: Sheila Linderman | December 28, 2010 at 06:24 PM
I have enjoyed following Leah's story in bits and pieces here for five years. Happy Birthday!
Posted by: V-Grrrl @ Compost Studios | December 28, 2010 at 06:42 PM
It's wonderful to see Leah grow and thrive on your blog, not that I would dare say it feels like knowing her, but still, yes, a little, maybe. Happy birthday to her, she looks gorgeous, and way to go on her project, this is courageous and very telling of her shiny personality, may she succeed in what she undertakes!
You are right to be a proud dad!
Posted by: Otir | December 28, 2010 at 07:44 PM
Happy sweet 16 to Leah!Enjoy your day... You are a beauty!! It goes by so quickly. My son turned 27 yesterday and became engaged last weekend!
Posted by: Arlene Andresen | December 28, 2010 at 07:46 PM
Happy Birthday Miss Leah!!
Danny, she is seriously beautiful! That top picture makes me think of an old Hollywood glamour girl! Seriously, you may need to invest in a shot-gun to clean for when young men come to call. ;-)
Posted by: Heather | December 28, 2010 at 08:21 PM
Happy Birthday, Leah!
Congratulations on the big "fork in the road" plans. If anybody has role models at one's fingertips for such a daring plan, it is you! I can't wait to hear the itinerary! Perhaps you'll make a detour through France? If so, fall on by the house!
Posted by: The Pliers | December 28, 2010 at 09:25 PM
Beautiful photos and happy birthday to Leah. I wish her much success with her choices. I did the traditional route of graduating from the big suburban public high school then straight to (a local) college as well and then off into the corporate workforce (all in the same city) where I remain 30 years later. To this day I think, if only I'd had the options young people have today. Even home-schooling would have been preferable to the soul- and creative-spirit crushing misery I endured in "regular" high school. It took me years to get over it and in some ways I'm still processing it. May Leah have every success on her special journey and be thankful for such a supportive family as well!
Posted by: Pam G | December 29, 2010 at 04:13 AM
What a daddy love letter! What a talented family.
Posted by: Sue Katz | December 29, 2010 at 05:02 AM
Happy belated to Leah. She's gorgeous. I wish I had done what she's doing. It looks like you guys did a wonderful job of raising her.
Posted by: churlita | December 29, 2010 at 10:45 AM
Happy birthday to Leah! What a beautiful glamor shot.
Posted by: Julie R. | December 29, 2010 at 06:44 PM
Dear Danny,
Leah is so beau-ti-ful.
Beauty AND brains !
I can see that probably her greatest personal asset is no fear of failure. That means that she'll be a huge success, no matter what.
You have every reason to be proud.
Happy Birthday, Leah !
Thanks,
Gordon
Posted by: Gordon | December 29, 2010 at 08:29 PM
Sweet sixteen...in every way.
Mazel Tov, and happy birthday, Leah.
Posted by: Pearl | December 29, 2010 at 10:42 PM
she's beautiful. I think it's exciting that she's taking the autodidact route - I think it will give her wonderful perspective on the world before heading off to college. Congratulations and Happy New Year!
Posted by: Sally | January 01, 2011 at 07:22 AM