So grown up

When did my baby girl turn into a big girl? When did running and giggling with her girlfriends become more fun than running and giggling with me? When did the little boys in her class start to think she was just as beautiful as I do? More importantly, where did she learn to say "Not until I'm a teenager" when a boy tried to kiss her in school? (that's my girl!) She skips around totally unaware of what a stunningly beautiful child she is. She has no idea that she's one of the smartest kids on earth. She doesn't realize that when I see her with many of her friends from school, I just notice "something" amazingly different about her. She's still too young to understand why she gets in trouble for pouting in public, but she's old enough now to think it odd when she sees other children do the same. I get sad as I watch her grow, her sweet innocence slowly fading away. One day she'll understand things about boys, war, friends, and life that I never wanted to her understand. But, for now, I'm so happy to have my little girl just be little. I'm holding on to bedtime stories, drawing books together, having to tell her to put clothes on because she still lacks modesty most of the time, picking out her clothes, pulling up her hair, laughing at "that part" in her favorite kid movie, and her thinking that I am the best person on the planet. She still misses me when she's at school during the day, she still gets excited every single day when she sees me pulling up to get her. One day she'll drive herself and probably won't want to come home until she must... her friends will be the only thing on her mind. Her outfit that SHE picked out will be ruling her thoughts. She'll go through phases of thinking she hates me because I won't let her go "here" or wear "that".... but she'll grow up and realize, like we all do from time to time, that I was right. (one can hope) So, here's to my little girl.. that's slowly slipping into a realm of big girlness that I'm not sure I'm ready for. I'm just clinging to this phase of life with her as long as I can.

*Madison and two friends at her 6th bday party... madison on the left