Acting Our Age

I have been a mother for nearly eleven years - more than a quarter of my life! And yet lately, I sometimes still find it hard to believe that I'm the mom... My eldest daughter is going to be 11 in January and she has grown several inches this past year - my husband is over 6' tall and my girl has been blessed with long legs. Lately, when we are walking together, I look over at her and I can look her in the eye! I find that most of the time, in my head, I feel as though I am still about 22... How can I possibly have a child in the 5th grade? Crazy.

The other night my husband and I let her invite two of her best friends over for a sleepover. I took my daughters out to pick the girls up, and on the way back home, I stopped to get gas. I left the girls giggling in the minivan and I got out to pump the gas. Walking to the pump, hearing the girls' laughter, I caught my reflection in the window of my minivan - looking back at me was a mom! When did that happen? We got home and I did all of the mom sleepover things - asking the kids what they liked on their pizza, what would they like to drink, let's make sure that everyone has enough blankets, etc. Coming downstairs in the middle of the night to tell the girls (again) that it was time to go to bed - big mom moment. It's a funny thing to get that reality check that I'm a long way from that young girl, giggling with my own friends at sleepovers.

And I wasn't the only one having a hard time accepting my age... My little five-year-old was desperately wanting to be one of the older girls! It was hard for her at accept that this was her sister's time to spend with her friends and that her time will come. And I did remind my eldest daughter that it wouldn't hurt to be nice to her sister and to not brush her aside. I try to remind them both at times that friends leave after play dates and sleepovers, but their sisters will still be here - so be nice!

Funny how I have a hard time believing that I'm a mom, and yet I'm very comfortable speaking like one! ;)