When my girls were younger, I was so intent on keeping them little. Gone would be the little toes, wobbly legs and words like spaghetti pronounced “pah-sgetti”.
I wanted time to stand still.
Both girls are now firmly entrenched in elementary school—somewhere in the middle between the famous preschool and teen days–and may I say, I love it so much?
Sure, the transition from preschool to teen years are still hard. In fact, harder in some ways. We are already dealing with tears and unexplained anger and eye-rolling with the best of them, but I love these days when they still think home is the best place, I still get called “Mommy” (although Lexi has been calling me “Mother” lately) and most upsets are still soothed by a good hug.
And yet, they are forming opinions about how others act and care when someone is wronged, they have their own opinions on what to wear and eat and they know how to fix their own bowl of cereal.
It’s a mostly-sweet-sometimes-frustrating period of time that I’m savoring.
Girls piled up in my living room floor are weekend musts.
Crafts are a given.
And yes, most days you’ll find Lexi watching something on Netflix.
Dancing is constant, whether it be courtesy of Just Dance or a quickly choreographed dance to a Spotify song.
Books are devoured on the regular.
And did I mention crafts?
They still love trampoline time with Daddy.
And some days are spent doing things I have no part of like Safety Patrol.
But those independent activities are ones I’m most proud of. She’s confident enough to go out and do something brave and helpful.
We’re in the middle and I love it.
