My daughter’s big goal in life is to climb Mt. Everest. Then she plans to slide back down the mountain on the seat of her pants. She told me so tonight.
She also plans to have at least four babies. She already has a place for them in her room, but she is very concerned about the fact that she does not yet have a carseat for them. She has started to save her toys for her babies to use someday.
Yesterday at the shoe store she picked out some very sparkly pink Sketcher sneakers. She tried to convince me to buy some metallic gold sparkly Chuck Taylors for myself. I resisted. She insisted. I did not purchase them but she laughed and laughed as she pushed the box into my hands. I might go back and buy them just to hear her laugh some more. I said, “What would I wear gold sparkly shoes with?” and she said, “Buy a sparkly dress!”
I took her to Wild Waves tonight but it closed at 7 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. so we were there only an hour. Still, she glided under the water of the activity pool, flung herself from the high rock into the deep water, floated around the lazy river ride, jumped over waves. Then on the way out, she trailed behind me. As I approached the gate, I turned to make sure she was with me and she wasn’t. Then I heard wailing ten feet away . . . she had “lost” me when she’d gotten distracted by someone else. I think her biggest fear is that she will lose me–even though I have promised repeatedly that I will never leave her.
On the way home, she asked if I knew where Great-Grandma is buried. I recently found out, so I told her I do. Then she said she’d like to go sometime. She told me she wants to buy flowers for the grave.
And then she chattered the whole way home until I begged her to stop talking for just a little while. She crowds all the thoughts from my heads with all the thoughts from her head.
I hope she always wants to shop with me and talk to me until I am weary of her voice. I hope she always laughs at my jokes. And I hope she understands that I will never, ever, ever lose her even if she wanders away from me.
Actual Unretouched Photo 
My daughter is almost 33 and she still chatters to the point where her thoughts crowd my thoughts out of my head. She still calls me “Mama”. No matter how old our daughters become, some things never change.
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You are SO blessed to have her. And, she is one lucky little lady to have YOU!
Now, I must go scale Mt. Laundry, or I shall not even have pants to slide down on.
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Oh Mel! You made me cry. Which is not hard to do but still. I have 5 girls and 1 lonely boy. My oldest is going a couple states over next month for a month long visit. She has not had a sleep over in 10 years, what makes me think I can handle a month with her away? I find myself crying often, knowing the days of having her home with us is limited. My only confort is that she is staying with a incredible family whom I trust.
Regardless, I am not ready to let her go yet. Hold on tight Mel. The years go way to quickly especially when they reach their teen years.
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Thank you for helping me understand why there are times when I just need my sweet daughter to stop chattering. I have never been able to put my finger on why… but now I know! Her thoughts are crowding out my thoughts – wow. So beautifully put! Thank you Mel for bringing some clarity to my life. Now if you could come up with how to allow all the clutter in my head without imploding, you really will be my hero!!!
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This is beautiful Melodee. I love the way you have shown life with your daughter. Simple. Consistent. These are the unspoken joys of being mommy – not always easy, but so worth it.
I can so relate to : And then she chattered the whole way home until I begged her to stop talking for just a little while. She crowds all the thoughts from my heads with all the thoughts from her head.
Are kids are so precious – and we skip over so much in our hurry.
Love you.
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What is up with that insistent chatter? My 8 y/o is the queen of it. And the queen of all things sparkly. I love her so much it hurts some days.
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I love how sincere and fresh little voices are. You captured it wonderfully! 🙂
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What a beautiful way to sum up SIX. I love how sincere she is and how awe-inspiring she sounds =)
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