please keep your word little one...

FRIDAY - orientation for preschool, Year #2

...school physicals with the Doc - (literally the day before) - check

..new school shoes purchased - check
...outfits laid out the night before - check

...bedtime at 8 instead of some of the unmentionable hours this summer - check

...morning, wake up on time - check

...ten minutes before heading out the door, one twin throws up - check!

obviously the morning didn't go as planned and maddie's tummy threw us a loop for the day. i "fibbed" and told maddie we were going to the store and shuffled mia outside quietly and told her we were still going to school but we didn't want to upset maddie. jason stayed home with sick little maddie and izzy. off to school mia and i went.

our conversation in the car --which mind you, conversations often don't happen with three kids in the car, or at least not my three girls, - it's more me giving directions, over and over, and a competition for who gets to speak, or who gets to hear what song, rather than a conversation. so on this morning, mia and i had a true conversation. it went like this...

me - "mia, you look so beautiful today. you are a big 4 year old. remember last year, you were only 3 and remember how scared you were on the first day?"
mia - "yes. and now i'm 4."
me - "i know - you are so big now."
mia - "you don't want me to grow up?"
me - "yes, i do, but i just want it to slow down."
mia - "but mommy, i will always be your baby"
me - speechless with heart melting.
mia - "and we will get to do new things, and have new toys, and go new places when we are big"
me - with tears and a big smile "yes, baby you are right."



i looked at her in the rearview mirror and with her hair perfectly brushed straight, and her matching funky headband and her shiny bonnie bell lipgloss, her face turned right in to that 16 year old mia that i will soon enough see, sitting in the backseat of my car on the first day of school (...or wait, she may even be driving herself that year if she gets her way at 16..) and i just pray that she will stay true to her word and still in her heart, feel as though she is still my little baby and be willing to have a conversation with her "mommy" on the way to school. for all the things they will outgrow, may my daughters never outgrow my love.

so listen up little clock, just like most of us mothers are attempting to do in our daily life why don't you jump in right along on our mission to just sloooooooooooooooooow it down a bit! thank you - we'll all be very appreciative!