My little shadow

My daughter, that sweet thing.

She follows me everywhere. She announced to me a couple of weeks ago (and has continued her announcements multiple times a day since then) that "I go wherever you go!" And cries if I leave the room without her. She asks me if she can sleep in my bed when I'm putting her in her own. She turns on the charm and the pouty face and says, "But I go wherever you go, 'member?" I always promise her that I'll give one more kiss goodnight before it's Mommy's bedtime and usually sit at her bedside until she falls asleep (though that never takes very long).

This is one of those "the days are long, but the years are short" things, right? I want so badly to love the moment, appreciate her devotion and be flattered by her companionship. Sometimes I stop and smile, my heart warmed by her sweet little words, and I'm able to soak in the love and savor the sweetness. Other times I count to 10 under my breath and remind myself not to fly off the handle as I physically remove her from my leg mid-step.

I hear this phrase at least 50 times a day - "But Mommy…"
And it never seems to matter if another adult is in the room (Daddy, Grandma, Mimi, etc) she always "needs" my attention.
My girl is a "quality time" kinda gal. I understand this because I am one, too. This makes me treasure Fridays which are our special days together, and our frequent rides to school that are just ours. I'm learning to take her loyalty and devotion and turn it into teaching opportunities - she's learning to enjoy cooking, cleaning, reading, singing, and building relationships because of what we do together.
I pray that God will give me the necessary wisdom, compassion and joy that it takes to raise such a special girl. I am blessed to call her mine.

 “If you ever want to see heaven, watch a bunch of young girls play. They are all sweat and skinned knees. Energy and open faces.”
― Amy Poehler