I took Ella on a mommy date this weekend.
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| Torrential downpour?! Not gonna stop us! |
I know I say this a lot, but she is really growing up...fast.
Already, at the young age of 6 1/2 I am noticing a difference in our relationship.
She doesn't need me to get her dressed or fix her a snack. Long gone are the days where I got to pick out her clothes. She prefers to play with her friends at the pool over me and she reads to me now. (That last one is the one I'm having a really hard time with...)
She still needs me...just differently from her baby, toddler, and preschooler self.
She doesn't seek me out all throughout the day with cries of "look at this Mom!" or "watch this!" In fact, I frequently find myself saying something like "when did you learn to do a flip into the pool?" or "I didn't know you don't believe in mermaids anymore."
I am the seeker now.
And it all happened so quickly.
I realize that I am now the responsible one to make sure I create opportunities for us to connect and have fun and keep her heartstrings close. I have to be the one to take advantage of the moments she wants to talk...regardless of the convenience of the timing to me.
The responsibility falls to me to be available, to listen and not always teach and talk back, and to find out what she loves and wants to do.
That is why I rode the drop zone with her at Frankie's Fun Park on Friday night.
In the midst of the swarms of neon wearing teenagers. (On a side note and at the risk of sounding like a gramma...I just don't get the neon fashion trend. Who really looks good in neon?!)
After eating way too large a burger at Red Robin.
We screamed and laughed and I willed my burger to resist reverse peristaltic action.
Later in the night she came over to my side of the booth and put her arms around me and cuddled with me for a long time. For my not so physically affectionate little girl...this was a sweet moment for me.
I may be losing my little girl to the unstoppable force of growing up...
But I have so much to look forward to.
2 comments:
oh dear, is it weird that this makes me feel like my daughter is growing up to fast too...yea she's only 5 weeks old, maybe it's the hormones talking. ;) anyway, i appreciate you blazing the trail and letting me know what to look out for. Enjoy your sweet "baby".
One of my favorite blogs :)
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