You're not missing anything. Almond milk doesn't hold foam very well; it breaks down quickly (kind of like with drip coffee) and makes it almost impossible to make a proper cappuccino. I'm surprised nobody has explained this to her yet... though I accept some people are just so amazingly square-brained that it'll never penetrate. Soy works fine though if she's down for that!

From experience, anytime you get a customer that requests a cappuccino (with an alternative milk) either venti sized, “dry” or “extra dry” you should warn them it is a difficult process and the barista will do their best. Alternative milks don’t hold foam up the same way milk does.

I've managed to pull it off but you have to baby it. Keep the wand right below water/air interface til you get the right sound and whirlpool; you may have to jiggle with it a bit to find the right spot.
Even then it doesn't always work and takes a little miracle; but almond milk is definitely the hardest of alt milks