Do you ever look at your kid and just sit back in amazement? Watch the things they do and realize how they have mixed some of the things that you do, some of the things the other parent does, and some of their own things into this little package of a human being? Really pay attention to how they see and react to the world around them? How they face the trials and tribulations of being a 6 year-old and having to put up with your dumb-ass as their parent?
I am still just utterly amazed when I look at Caroline. I know all parents probably say this about their kid, and maybe I’m no different, but she seems like the oldest 6 year-old I know. Either that, or she’s the youngest 15 year-old I’ve ever met. It’s fascinating how much of Jayme I see in her. The little things, really. The way she balls up her hand into a fist, thrusts it on her hip, and gives you the “Are you kidding me?” look. The way she is absolutely precise in what she says. She won’t even continue the sentence until she’s worked it out in her head how she should continue. And if she can’t, she’ll get that little frustrated look and power on through, absolutely determined to get it right. She’ll even move her mouth ever so slightly when she’s busy thinking, just like her mother! Very cute.
But then I also see the little things that make her unique. That make her her. The laugh that she gives you when she’s in a giggly mood. The boisterous, but still somewhat subdued, giggle that will emit from her mouth , signaling that is indeed enjoying herself. The way she squints up from her glasses when she’s thinking about how to respond to a question or how to ask you something. The way she will still ask me for one of our special hugs every now and then: the really, really tight, cut-off-the-circulation-in-your-neck hugs. I love those!
There was something specific she was doing tonight, though, that showed me that just because she was growing up (quickly), she was still my little kiddo. And she could still make me adore her even more than I already do. Not feeling particularly well these past couple of days (and spiking a fever of 102 this morning), she’s not been able to go to school. This afternoon, while Jayme was home with her, she wanted to make a list of all the things she wanted to do this summer. Now, normally when a kid is asked what they want to do for a summer break, they list the big things (the zoo, a water park, the beach, vacation). Sure, she had some of those things, too. But the other things, the little things, literally just made me smile with joy. It made me realize that she was still a little kid, and was still enjoying that special time of being a kid, where very simple things to you and I are really special to her. Here they are exactly how she wrote them in her notebook:
[caption id=“attachment_202” align=“alignright” width=“224” caption=“Making the list”]
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- Dress up My dolls.
- Play Polipocet.
- play frispe.
- Make food.
- zoo.
- Go to the Grolhis store. (going for grocery store)
- Wath TV
- Soccer camp
- Mina Mardia Graph (going for Mini Mardi Gras)
- Gynnastics camp
- play with Genny
- have a play date with Rowan
- Read Books
- Draw.
- Play Games.
- Make a pupet shows.
- Make a short Book.
- play feth.
- play on the comuter.
- play Wii
- Go to the park
- Badminton
- Set Dress up
- Wath a BasBall Game
- Go to a Soccer Game
- Beach
- Kentuky
- eat Granola
- wath the plants grow
- have a playdate with Avery
- Goto the Meusim to see the Dinasur Bones
- Go to the Movis
- Play hide in seek with Brian
- Some sleepovers
- play in the tree House
- Swing
- Write in my Jornal
- Go to yayas House
- Go to Clomes (going for Columbus)
- Go to the dog Park
- play in my room
- play Barbies
- Mak a Card for Mommy
- play on daddys ipad
- lay on My Bed
- play in My doll House
- swiming lessons
- do chores
- spin my Money
- Buy Something
Whew, it’s going to be a busy summer! As we called each of these things out over dinner, she would write them down in her notebook. I (obviously) know this, but don’t notice it that often, but Caroline is left-handed when she writes. To see her write these letters and these words from the awkward way (at least to me as a right-handed writer) a left-hander writes was so interesting to watch. To see her go from hearing to thought to decision to word formulation to writing.
Look at the things she lists, though. Not the zoo entry, not the beach one, not the gymnastics camp, not that type of stuff. Look at the “play in my room” and the “Draw” and the “Make food” entries. I mean, if that doesn’t make you smile when she’s reading them out to you in her adorable 6 year-old voice, I don’t know what will. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. There’s a sense of pride that swelled up within me when she did that tonight. A sense of relief that Jayme and I are doing something right as parents of this amazing little girl.
I am so proud of her.
