Big Kid Life.

Most of the time I still consider myself a new mom, it’s totally cliche, but I really can remember those first days bringing home a newborn Waverly Maye from the hospital like they were yesterday.  Feeling so freaking overwhelmed but also so in love, going on dreamy, magical little family walks around the neighborhood where our rented condo was, and then spending hours during the night crying and completely helpless because I didn’t know why she wouldn’t go to sleep.  The time since then kind of all blends together but somehow, here we are, five (& and a half) years later with a kindergartener and her two-year old little sister.  And in all actuality, I’m not a new mom at all.

So I thought I would take a break from my regularly scheduled holiday programming today to document our life lately with a legit “big kid”.  Though I will forever call her my baby, she is far from it and I was reminded of just that this weekend when we went to her school for a holiday craft night and book fair.  We really try to stay connected to her school as much as possible, one of the hardest transitions from preschool to kindergarten (for me!) has been not really feeling a part of it as much.  So every time we can sign up to volunteer, attend an event at her school, or have a family member come visit her for lunch, we always try to make it happen.  It’s so fun to see her in her element, and it’s a reality check of how mature & grown-up she is. 

The night of her event, we walked into the gym and I pointed to all the booths we could go visit and also showed her that Santa was there, and about FELL OVER when she responded, “ummm mom, I have eyes, I can see”.  She waved to about fifteen different kids, most of them older than her.  She didn’t hesitate to walk over to them and say hi, and they all knew her name just like she knew theirs.  Her top pick from the book fair was a Shimmer & Shine diary, that even came with a key, and the next morning I found her hiding in the bathroom writing in it.  That was right before she requested a shower rather than a bath, closed the curtain because she “needed her privacy”, and then made her own lunch.

All this to say, we have officially entered the phase of parenting a kid.  If you would have asked me a year ago if I was ready for it, I would have said hell no (and that I never would be), but I’m kind of loving everything that comes with it.  She’s turned into a little BFF, someone I can shop with and watch Fixer Upper with (she can even last through the entire thing without being distracted!) — she loves to hear stories about “when she was little” and literally cannot wait to lose her first tooth.  She’s started reading books to me and likes to brush my hair, and the sweetest ever, she begs every night to hold Avalon and sing to her, just like I have done for both girls since they were born.  I will forever cherish my time with my kids as actual “babies”, but this stage has its own magic, just in a different kind of way.  Love them both forever and ever.

And on a side note, SEVEN more days until Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!  Not that we are counting or anything! XO