“Mom, Can you believe I’m going to be Eight?”

“No, no my darling girl — I can’t”

Wasn’t this just yesterday?

So much has changed, So much still the same.

The moment you saw the ocean,  it was true love. You were a water baby,

and now you’re a Boogie Boardin’ Diva.

 Even from the first, you’ve been much more fashionable than I ever was.

I’m so glad that hasn’t changed, your fashion sense makes me so happy.

I love how you’ve always marched to the beat of your own drum

How from day one you have  been strong and confident in who you are.

You are independent and fearless.

Fun loving and silly, you love life and all that it has to offer.

You are your brother’s favorite person

Your Daddy’s little angel

and my … my favorite playmate, the one who made me a Mama.   You are my heart and soul in a smart, funny, beautiful, wonderful, blue eyed, freckle faced package.

I am so blessed to be your mother.

There will be times that I will yell at you, there will be times when we won’t like each other very much, there will be times we both say things we don’t mean, but there will never be a time that you are not loved, a time you are not cherished, a time where I am anything but thankful for you.

I have always known and understood love. Your Daddy showed me a different kind of love, but you, you my amazing, wonderful daughter, you have taught me a love like no other.
You are borne of my body, my heart, my soul and my mind and you opened up a place in me that I didn’t know even existed.

You are smart, funny, strong, beautiful, compassionate, silly, confident, loving, temperamental, friendly, energetic, inquisitive, vibrant, frustrating, head strong, lively, independent, fearless and amazing.

I pray that at 18, 28, 38, 58, 78, .. you retain all of these qualities.

I will do my best to stand back and allow you to live, fall, experience, fail and triumph. I will try to never stand in your way, to allow you to stumble and fall because the biggest disservice I can do you would be to never let you fail. That being said, I promise that I will always and forever be there to pick you back up, kiss away the tears, whisper I love you and nudge you back towards the right path.

Happy 8th Birthday to the one who changed everything.

I love you.

“The BEST part about dresses, how they get all spinny when you dance– and sometimes Mom, you just have to dance“

Seven.

It’s my favorite number.

I once thought I wanted to name my daughter, Seven.  (I was 12)

Tonight, as I kissed you goodnight  I said: “Goodnight Six”

The look you gave me–good grief child, you’re so me.

I’d like you to stop now, please.

Happy Birthday, Princess.

You scare me.

You make me proud.

You make me happy.

You make me scream.

You make me want to be a better person.

YOU.

You made me A Mama.

Happy Birthday, to you.

The Last night of our Carnival Cruise they hosted a Camp Carnival Kids Talent Show, I’ll share more video later, like Monkey break dancing… it’s awesome.

However, it’s Friday and everyone needs an ear worm and a smile.

Enjoy Princess (in the turquoise dress) rockin’ with the other kids to Cha Cha Slide.

Those moves are ALL her

I can’t believe it’s here; your last day of kindergarten.
It seems like just yesterday that I wrote this post about your first day of kindergarten.

You have grown and changed so much this year, experienced so many milestones:

• learned to read (and holy cow do you read! I think you read better than your Daddy)
• lost your first two teeth
• made new friends
• learned to ride a bike without training wheels
• learned addition and subtraction
• navigated a confusing elementary school all by yourself

There are so many more things that you’ve accomplished this year and I foresee so many more in your future.

My love, my daughter, my first born… we could not be more proud of you.

Kindergarten from Rachel – A Southern Fairytale on Vimeo.

Seeing myself through my daughter’s eyes.

It’s telling*, it’s poignant, it’s beautiful, and  it’s a piece of paper that I’ll treasure forever.

Thank you to all the teachers who take the time to do projects like this with your students.

*my eyes are blue-ish green

She’s my little girl.

My kindergartner.

It’s only been a blink, a mere 6 years of flashing blue eyes and heart capturing giggles.

Her pink freckled cheeks still clinging to the softness of childhood.

Her blue eyes that still light up when Daddy walks in.

Balancing on the precipice.

She’s still my little girl.

And yet, there are moments…

Moments that stop my heart and rip the breath from my lungs.

Moments where I’m caught off guard and I catch glimpses of the woman she will become.

It’s those moments that bring me the most joy and the most pain.

Princess has had a big few weeks milestone-wise that is. She lost her second tooth, started reading chapter books and while at Mr. Lady’s house for Easter, she got on a BIG BMX bike belonging to 3of3 and took off.

No training wheels.

(cue mom fainting)

I’m not sure who had more fun or got more exercise.. Princess or Daddy

or interpretation is everything..

Thanks to Chick-Fil-A, the kids got two Between The Lions CD’s the other day.  They begged me to put them on in the car, so I did.

As soon as the theme song started, Princess started singing and Monkey, not knowing the words, but no less enthusiastic started bopping along in his booster seat.

We listened to the first story on the CD and we talked about it (thank you for awesome car conversations, Chick-fil-A).

Suddenly, Princess perks up. ”

“Mom, Why is it called Between The Lions?”

Okay, take 1: Easy Answer

“Well honey, the main characters are Lions and it’s about them”

I tell you what, you can HEAR the gears churning in that blonde head.

“But then why do they sing… ‘Between the Lions Between The Covers of A Book’ aren’t Lions in jungles and zoos?”

Oh for the love of literal children… *sigh*

Take 2.. more complicated answer

“Well sweetie, when you read books (and in life) there is a saying ‘read between the lines’ it means to read and see more than just what’s written, you should use your imagination and see more than just the written word”

Dead silence back there.

and then.

“So there is more to a book than just what’s written and that’s why the call the show Between The Lions… it’s one of those punks you were telling me about..”

???PUNKS!??

imagine a lightbulb going off over my head

“You mean a PUN?”

Princess: “Oh (giggle) yes ma’am, a pun”

Me: “well, yes honey, kind of.  It’s also known as a play on words.. Lions.. Lines…”

Princess: “Okay”

Change the setting to us pulling into the driveway.  Monkey VAULTS out of the car and charges through the front door and into his room, he rips a book off his bookshelf and opens it; throws it on the floor and pulls out another one. rinse and repeat 3 or 4 more times.

He then STOMPS his booted feet out into the living room, looks at me accusingly and in his most disappointed and peevish 3 year old voice says: “Mom, there are NO LIONS in my books!!!”

*le sigh*