Not tomorrow, next day...

As I type this - my 4 year old is pretending to type into her "computer phone" (which is actually an old cell phone that I passed on to her) so she feels included in my computer time. She started swimming lessons this week. 4 days a week of splashing fun. It makes me choke up when I watch her play in the pool - no fear - no clutching the teacher with claws of steel. It's amazing what a difference a year will make. Last year she was terrified of the water. This year it's her favorite thing ever! I have choked up while watching her twice now, as I realize that my baby is growing up. And fast. This is a good thing, right? Sigh. I need to get out her baby book and log all the witty and funny things she says. And the few baby things she still clings too. For instance, instead of saying tomorrow, no matter how many times I tell her, she still calls it "next day". The promise that something is tomorrow is always followed by "that's next day, right?" "We're doing that next day?" And if you correct her that's it's tomorrow, she gets angry and corrects you that it's next day :-) She used to say yogurt funny. I loved when she said it. Yogret. Now she calls it yogurt. I miss yogret.

Every night at bedtime - she askes me to sing her Rock a By Baby. And then she sings to me afterward. It always starts out the same - "You're the best mommy. Don't ever leave me. Together, forever. I love you because you're the best" And then is usually followed by some parenting advice: "don't yell at me anymore", or "you need to play games with me more". And then ends with how I'm the best and she'll always love me. Breaks my heart, fills me with guilt, and brings tears to my eyes all at the same time. She's good. I'll give her that much. How I love my Sammy. Don't grow up so fast, mkay?

Now, Sydney is another subject all together. I am in denial that she is turning 7 in a week. :-( How can this be? Her last day of 1st grade is on Monday. She is starting 2nd grade in less than a month!! She reads at an incredible level and speed. She is doing great at math. And she stumped me with a homework problem that she had to create with her homework. Is it bad that I didn't know what a rhombus was? Yikes. She plans her wardrobe for school the night before. She has a CRUSH on a boy!! And she stomps, pouts, and slams her door like a teenager. Sigh. 7 going on 17. My big girl is growing up. OK, relax....take a deep breath. :sob: