Maude turned 13 yesterday. Thirteen! To celebrate, we made her breakfast in bed. And immediately following that, she opened a Facebook account. : )

We had a small party in the afternoon that featured a berry tarte from our favorite bakery in Alençon, and a few gifts. We’ll host a party for her friends in a couple of weeks. (We’re working on the party plans now. We think we’ll go with a “spa” theme. I’ll be sure to share details.)

One of her gifts was a Kaleidograph. It’s such a cool toy! There are no rules, no winners, no strategy. You just combine cards to get different patterns. Doesn’t sound very fancy, I know. But it is shockingly satisfying to play around with. It’s the sort of toy I like to keep in the living room, on display, ready to be picked up by any guest or family member, because it’s appealing to people of all ages. It’s also the sort of toy I like to keep stocked in my gift stash. You can find them on Amazon.

My Dad had a thing for “grown-up toys” — the kind of objects that appeal to adults as much as kids — and I’ve found that I like to keep them around as well. Do you have any toys like that in your house? Is there an especially good one you’d recommend?