Loved!

Miss 10 is at that age where she is trying to be her own person, and not just my daughter. She's been fighting me on things here and there, mostly on math and getting dressed on the weekends. She attempts and succeeds at doing more things on her own without mine or anyone's help. She loves to make us laugh out loud, she's silly when she should be doing something we asked, she's pouting when we get after her for her lack of getting something done, and she's angry when she doesn't get her way. We argue, we cajole, we talk, we "discuss" and we threaten. Usually none of it works, and we resort to tricking her into things: "First one upstairs gets a hug from Mom!", "First one done with their snack (getting dressed, etc) gets to pick the tv channel." But she's getting too smart for that now and usually calls us on it.

She's also getting very, very strong. Swimming over an hour a day five days a week does that to a body. Her very favorite recreation with us right now is beating up on her father. She pushes him around, wrestles with him and throws her weight on him. She's 90lbs and nearly 5 feet tall. She's developing in places I don't want to think about. She's not my little girl anymore, and it makes me sad.

But, check out the above drawing and caption. Yes, the caption is hard to read, but it does say "Best Mom Ever." My scanner is being all wonky...
Despite our differences, despite her pulling away, I still get the hugs that come on spur of the moment, the kisses out of the side of her mouth in church, and the random, "I love you!" that she is famous for. And, I get drawings and notes that make tears well up in my eyes and my arms long for the little girl who sat on my lap and rocked, just because she felt like it. Happy Love Thursday.