Monday, February 18, 2013

Just This Morning

Areyna.

She's just days away from turning 8.

EIGHT.

Just this morning she woke up early, on her own, to take a shower.

She washed her own hair.

She picked out her own clothes.

She asked if I could curl her hair.

Then she went in the kitchen to make her own lunch.

And after she was done she climbed the counter to get a bowl out of the cabinet.

Not one of those kid bowls from IKEA, but one of my bowls.  MY big bowls.

Then she pulled out a real spoon right before pouring her own cereal and adding her own milk.

When did she get so big?

When did she stop needing me to DO things for her?

When did the "mommy-said-so-so-it-must-be-true" turn into "that's-not-what-________-said"?

Days away from becoming a TWEEN.

She may not need me to DO things for her anymore, but she needs me.

Now she needs me to answer tough questions.

Questions with answers more in the gray area, because life just isn't so black and white anymore.

She needs me to listen to her talk...and talk and talk:)

She needs me to be there to cry to about friends who are being not-so friendly.

I am entering a new era of motherhood as my not-so-baby girl enters a new stage of life.

Baby, we better hold on tight, because life is about to get real interesting around here...

2 comments:

Kelly Via said...

Awe, she looks so pretty. Why oh why are they growing up so darn quickly? Love your post.

Joy@WDDCH said...

My 7 year old does the same - this post is so bittersweet. Yearning to hold on to their innocence and yet eager to see them blossom. Elaina asked me a tough question today - asked me who the husband was to a young, single momma (talking fresh out of high school young) who is pregnant. She was always told Mommies and Daddies make babies together so I told her I would talk to her privately when her other, younger siblings weren't around. Starting to enter into the next phase and chapter of their lives, for sure!