The Raft

I just signed my first official school document.
With my own name, I mean. As the parent.
I signed my own, full, legal name with my own signature. Not my Dad's name... hee hee

I have officially registered my baby girl for Pre-School in the "fall". I put the season in quotes because the first day of school is actually August 27th. Hardly the leaf-crunching, sweater-wearing, apple-eating sort of September I romanticize so much about. But still.
This is huge.

What else is huge?
This:

This is a photo of my big girl heading up my driveway with her friends, for a pladydate of cookie baking without her mommy!
When I received the call inviting her (to my very good friend Jody's house to be with my very precious Quinnie, aged almost-12 and their nanny, aged 20-something, but still!) to come up and bake cookies while Wyatt napped, my jaw dropped.
I didn't know what to say.
Becky, the kids' summer nanny, knew that Wyatt would be asleep and that I couldn't leave, so she was offering to come down and get Abby. Clearly, they were bored. But also, they really like Abby and they knew she would love it and Becky, I'm sure, knew I would welcome the quiet time during Wyatt's nap.
And I did. But it was very strange.
It's nice, peaceful quiet when both kids are asleep and I am putzing around the house, or even doing nothing - like playing Pirates.
It was very different today. I have never been home without my girl. Not counting a quick run somewhere with Daddy here and there. This was, for the first time ever, me, Jay and Wyatt all in the house. Not Abby.

I wasn't devastated or anything. I didn't cry or carry on - don't get me wrong.
But I recognized today, for the umpteen-millionth time (it feels like) that my baby girl is getting so big. So independent. So smart, so brave.
She has been proving it in other ways, too. In ways that often annoy or exhaust me before I have time to reflect on the importance of them. Such as the back-talk, the deal-making, the "I CAN DO IT MYSELF!" among other things that come with age.

I try to keep a handle on them, keep things in perspective. Allowing my baby bird to spread her wings but know that here in the nest, you don't talk to mama like that!
And I will openly pat myself on the back and tell you that I do a very good job of it.
I am very patient, I often smile to myself when I know many other moms would be over-the-top frustrated. I take a deep breath before I answer - and if I forget to take that breath and answer in a way that makes me less than proud, I apologize.
And we move on.

Abby also swims underwater now.
All of a sudden.
Two weeks of swimming lessons, she finally put her face in on the 2nd to last day. Now, she zips back and forth, under the water, in the tub like a fish.
She showed me 44 times tonight. Then Wyatt popped his head in to see what the ruckus was and she showed him a few times.
(They generally bathe together but Wyatt is quick - he prefers to run around naked and watch some tv before bed so Abby gets some playtime with the tub all to herself.)
Then, as I was trying to reign her in, Maggie trotted in and - without missing a beat - "MAGGIE, WATCH THIS!", under she goes again!
Maggie seemed relatively unimpressed and I later realized she was just looking for a place to sleep where Wyatt wouldn't bother her. She found that place - it was Abby's bed.

Last night, Abby said "I want a tv in my room."
I said "no."
She said "why?"
I said "Because, like I will never drive a mini-van, never purchase a car-dvd-player and never, ever pay full price on children's clothing - you will never have a tv in your bedroom."
That answer seemed to placate her. Confuse her, probably is more like it. But still.
Also, I would bend my mini-van rule if it were a brand new, fully-loaded, navy blue Honda Odyssey. But, honestly, I'm gonna hold out for the Pilot or Pathfinder.
And, I will allow her a tv in her room - when she's old enough for chores and report cards - real ones, on both accounts - she can then earn a tv, tv-time and the trust to know what to do with both.

For now, I will look forward to "fall" and playdates and the never-ending "BUT" that begins each answer to my request of clean-up, go upstairs, put something down, have something to eat or wear what I pulled out for you...