Smart. Photogenic. Just. Sincere. Without guile.
For Valentine's Day, she spent hours making personalized Valentines for her 19 classmates. Then she read the generic storebought Valentines she received with as much sincerity as she put into making her own. "Mom!" smiling so big, "Brandon is ape over me!" & then, "Oh, McKenzie thinks I am a princess," etc.
She tells me everything. Everything. Sometimes it makes me a little crazy, like when I'm trying to get her little sisters ready for church & she's telling me every detail & rule of the game she played at recess last week. I wonder if the other children know just how many rules this game has. Methinks she plays with more rules than the other kids. But then I look at her & see how much she's grown in the last year, in the last 6 1/2 years & I realize that she's going to keep growing & someday, sooner than I think, (What if the next 6 1/2 years go by just as fast???) she'll have more to tell me about than playground games. There will be friends and best friends, betrayals, crushes, kids to stand up for, teachers that really stretch her mind, personal opinions, new ideas... and I want to hear all about it. Another 6 1/2 years later, and there will be higher education & moving out & falling in love & independence. & I want to hear all about that too. Another 6 1/2 years & I can hardly breathe thinking about it, marriage? career? where will she live? I don't think she'll always want to be next door neighbors like she says she does now. So I smile & respond & laugh as she tells me about how Chase captured her, how Brooke saved her & how the slide is base & when you can climb up it & when you can slide down & when the goblins are invisible & what secret rock you need to see them.
Now excuse me while I go blow my nose. Dang allergies.
For Valentine's Day, she spent hours making personalized Valentines for her 19 classmates. Then she read the generic storebought Valentines she received with as much sincerity as she put into making her own. "Mom!" smiling so big, "Brandon is ape over me!" & then, "Oh, McKenzie thinks I am a princess," etc.
She tells me everything. Everything. Sometimes it makes me a little crazy, like when I'm trying to get her little sisters ready for church & she's telling me every detail & rule of the game she played at recess last week. I wonder if the other children know just how many rules this game has. Methinks she plays with more rules than the other kids. But then I look at her & see how much she's grown in the last year, in the last 6 1/2 years & I realize that she's going to keep growing & someday, sooner than I think, (What if the next 6 1/2 years go by just as fast???) she'll have more to tell me about than playground games. There will be friends and best friends, betrayals, crushes, kids to stand up for, teachers that really stretch her mind, personal opinions, new ideas... and I want to hear all about it. Another 6 1/2 years later, and there will be higher education & moving out & falling in love & independence. & I want to hear all about that too. Another 6 1/2 years & I can hardly breathe thinking about it, marriage? career? where will she live? I don't think she'll always want to be next door neighbors like she says she does now. So I smile & respond & laugh as she tells me about how Chase captured her, how Brooke saved her & how the slide is base & when you can climb up it & when you can slide down & when the goblins are invisible & what secret rock you need to see them.
Now excuse me while I go blow my nose. Dang allergies.
6 comments:
Thanks.
One of the very earnest things that Bethany does is when she calls me "Father", as in, "Father, will you get me some milk from the fridge?" To which, I am supposed to answer, "Yes, Daughter. I'll get the milk."
She loves that. It is very proper, and she digs it when we are very proper.
BEAUTIFUL!! Emily, you are so right about this girl, and such a talented writer. You made me tear up and now I have to teach a group of snotty 10th graders how to write a research paper!! I'll blame it on allergies too!
Glad to see that SOMEONE is blogging this week - gotta' get my fix, ya know? I don't think I've ever seen a close-up of any of your kids - you know, where I could feel I know what they really look like...what a cutie! Did you take the photos? I wish I had some cute pics of my kids - they grow up so fast (yeah, cliche enough for ya?), and it makes me sick to think of all the photo-ops I missed.
Darn mirabilis multiflorus...sniff sniff... I think I've got some allergies too. my eyes are dripping. But I won't stay away.
Keep listening, Keep listening. Sometimes it is very heard. My talker is Rachel. Sometimes I have to pull myself back to really listening when I find myself zoning out. Oh that's cool that Uranus has gaseous seas. Oh how much will I weigh on uranus? She NEEDS to talk. She will follow me around as I do my business, pause while I say Put away your clothes Jacob, Mason, there is not eating downstairs..then resume as soon as I pause for breath. I'm glad to be reminded why it's so important to listen because I will want to hear all the details of many things in the years to come. love you
Super cute! Your blog is lookin' good! Cute girls. Thanks for dropping in. This will be our way of keeping in touch! You look the same too. Did you know we used to live in SG? That is in your neck of the woods, huh?
The girls are beautiful!! I cannot believe how big my neices are!
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