Eleven....and a HALF!

Well, February is just days away - and that means soon Bailey will be not just eleven...but eleven AND A very-important HALF! And that means one step closer to the TEEN YEARS! Oh, Lord give me strength! Just kidding. Today's post is actually about how very proud I am of Bailey. Being a pre-teen is not fun. You couldn't PAY me to go back to that age. One foot in being a kid and the other in maturity. Finding your place is so hard at this age. Some days you want to be little and some days you want to be grown - but neither place feels like a good fit. Believe it or not, - I DO remember how it feels. And because I remember, it makes me all the more proud of her. It is a time when befriending an unpopular girl can feel like social suicide. It is a time when wearing your hair the wrong way can ruin the entire school year. And despite all of these pressures - from what I can tell - Bailey is making the right choices.

There is a girl in her class that has a rough home life - not popular with the "it" girls, for sure - and has a reputation for being trouble. Bailey is her friend. Now, as a mother, I want Bailey to be accepting and respectful of others - but I struggled with this one. We all know how dangerous it can be to hang around with the wrong crowd.....but then I caught myself. And shame on me! How very proud I should be (and AM) that Bailey is willing to catch grief from the popular girls and continue to be this girl's friend! At a recent slumber party, the popular girls were talking poorly about this other friend - and teasing Bailey a little for talking to her. I could see Bailey's discomfort. After the sleepover, Bailey mentioned to me how much that bothers her that they aren't nice to this girl.

I am so proud of Bailey for seeing the good in everyone. I am proud of her for wanting to do so well in everything she does. I am so proud of her for how funny she is! I am proud of her for the patience, understanding and love she shows to her little sister. I am proud of her for the tenacity she shows in sports, music - almost everything that's thrown at her - except maybe cleaning. ha.

I just marvel at the young woman she is growing to be. She is such a blessing to me - and to everyone she meets.