Eleven Years Old

Well, Bailey is now ELEVEN years old. ELEVEN! I have been informed that this is officially double digits. When I questioned this, noting that TEN was double digits, I was told that eleven is like REAL double digits. Whatever (eye roll). Once again Bailey's birthday fell on the first day of school. Bummer. And this year it wasn't just any old first day of school, it was the first day of MIDDLE SCHOOL! Big-time!

So, this poor Mother has been dealt a double whammy. As if facing the fact that my first-born is an official pre-teen wasn't bad enough, I have to deal with the fact that she is now in middle school....with 7th and 8th grade.....boys. ugh. Isn't there an all-girls school somewhere in Iowa I can send her to? The week before school there were three boys on bikes "visiting" Bailey. This caused Mark to make a quick phone call to Wal-Mart to price-check rifles and me? Well, I am digging through drawers because I'm sure there has to be some Prozac or Zoloft around here somewhere!

How can this be? How can she be eleven already? It just seems like yesterday when I was following the school bus to school with eyes full of tears as she headed off to her first day of Kindergarten. Now look at her.....she's developed into this absolutely amazing girl. So mature, so funny, so smart and absolutely beautiful. Now here is evidence of God's hands in THIS picture...because I'm sure I alone would have caused much more damage than this awesome girl is turning into.

Proud doesn't even begin to cut it as an adjective to describe this mother. I am just awe-struck, really. She is becoming such a wonderful person - someone I would want to call friend (if I weren't her mom). I am so blessed to have been given this job of being her Mom. I just pray I will know how to let go when I need to - and give her the room she needs to continue becoming her own person. (SO HARD!). It will take everything I have though, because really I just want to hold her tight and protect her from the hurt that life brings, the too-grown-up things that she'll be exposed to, the hard choices she'll have to make, and the mistakes she'll undoubtedly make, as we all do. Sigh...if only it were that easy - to shield her from all that....but then I wouldn't be doing my job I guess, would I? Part of my job is to let her go..... I'm just not ready. Thankfully, she still needs me - although it feels like less and less - and she always will need me to some degree, I guess. Thank God.

Happy Birthday, Bailey! You are my absolute favorite official-double-digit girl!

Mom

Middle Schooler

It isn't called Jr. High, and it doesn't start in 7th grade, but 6th.....and it isn't called a book bag, it is a backpack, and don't even think about walking her to the bus stop. That's right - she's eleven now and an official Middle Schooler, so get the facts straight. Everyone survived day one of Middle School - but I missed her horribly. I had to get the laundry myself AND I had no one around to trash talk the characters on Days of Our Lives while eating my lunch. ha.

Use Your Words

"Ring around the rosies, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall....(pause - wait for it)....and brilliant eleven-month-old Lauren says "DAHW" (or something very close to that anyway).

Slumber Party

Bailey had her LUAU slumber party recently to celebrate her upcoming ELEVENTH birthday. Apparently she inherited her mother's neurotic event-planning gene...you remember the one that produced the detailed wedding itinerary in 2004? Yep - Bailey's got it too. "And at 2:45 p.m. we will dance and at 3:10 we will drink smoothies, etc." Oh, Lord - was I THAT bad?! Anyway, after much angst over who couldn't come to the party, she began to focus on all of the friends who COULD come. A LUAU theme produced a basement dec'd out in grass skirt door curtains, tropical flowers and fish suspended from the ceiling, an inflatable palm tree and the likes.

When the guests arrived, the girls took to the back yard to play water volleyball, water balloons, hula hoops and more. Smoothies, fruit kabobs and junk food galore were present. That evening, after pizza, she opened her gifts from her friends.

Her Dad and I let her open one of her b-day gifts from us early….did you hear the screams all the way where you are? After she opened her gifts from her friends, she started into the tissue paper in our gift bag…and half-way through, her bag started to ring. There was a pause, her jaw dropped, she looked at her friends and in unison, five 11-yr-olds started to SCREAM at the TOP OF THEIR LUNGS!

And for the record – there are so many rules with this phone that it sucks all of the fun out of it for her...and we wouldn't have done it if there wasn't serious parental benefit to it...and most importantly, this was Mark’s idea. =-)

Public School Rocks

The other day my perfect in every way, private school teacher neighbor and mother and housekeeper extraordinaire stopped by to return something Bailey had left at her house. While here, the subject of "back-to-school" clothes came up. Bailey was eager to talk about the new shoes and clothes she had aquired via CLEARANCE at the mall, when our neighbor reminded us how liberating it is to have school uniforms. So freeing to not have to choose your outfits and place importance on such things. She was so grateful that HER daughter didn't really care about clothes and so the school uniform was just wonderful. (so special).

Bailey and I sat cordially through what felt like a judgemental lesson in the sinful behavior of placing importance on worldly things such as clothes, but was probably not at all the intent. (I can't help it - it feels like what it feels like).

Anyway, after listening and nodding and agreeing politely, Bailey finally pipes up and says (and this is why I LOVE this girl even if she weren't my very own daughter).... "Can they at LEAST ACCESSORIZE?!"

Month Eleven

You are eleven-months-old this month and well on the road to Miss Independent. Full of personality and charm, you love to entertain an audience and are well-aware of when you are being cute. You stand up without holding on to anything for support and can even squat down to pick something up without falling, but you still aren't interested in walking on your own. I can hold your hand and we can walk side-by-side and you can play "Ring Around the Rosie" with your big sister, but when it comes to getting to what you want you understand that it is much quicker and easier to crawl.

You have become a better eater this month, with your favorites being watermelon, chicken & dumplings and chicken nuggets (bad Mommy). Foods you don't like you pick up and shove down by your leg as if I won't notice that you've hidden your food. You still take a bottle, but also use a sippy cup like a pro.

As far as talking goes, you still babble all kinds of sounds. Your sister says you sound like a Conehead. But, despite the baby talk, you are beginning to use more and more real words. Ma-Ma, Da-Da, Sissy, Ba-Ba and Woa are the most-heard, but Uh-oh and Hi have made their debut this month too - but they are more seldomly heard.

You've developed a love affair with the phone (that's my girl!). I found a broken phone that you use as a toy, but you can tell the difference between that and the real deal. When you do get your hands on a real one, you set out to push the buttons and you put it on your shoulder, cock your head and sometimes say "hi."

It is still the greatest joy for me to watch you bounce-dance to music, to hear you belly laugh and to see your smiling face when I peek my head around the corner after you've woken from your nap, and to hold you before bedtime as you suck your thumb and caress the back of your head while laying on my shoulder.

As I'm looking ahead, planning your 1st birthday party, I am reminded of how fast you've grown. Suddenly, when I wasn't looking, the tiny baby was gone, replaced by a toddler with her own ideas on what she wants to do. I am excited for the fun times ahead and mourn (just a little) the sweet, innocent months of infancy.

I love you, Lauren!

Mommy

The Thanks I Never Got At The Office

In an e-mail received from Bailey today...

Hey mom I am really excited for my birthday party. Thank you for helping decorate! I love you so much!!


LOVE,

BJW

(There's nothing better than when your kids appreciate your love for them)