Dancing Ladies

'Tis the ninth day of Christmas and things are slowing down and beginning to return to normal. The Spouse went back to work today, school starts tomorrow. I had determined that today would be given over, to the degree possible, to The Child's whims. At first she wanted to go downtown to spend her Christmas gift cards but within seconds that morphed to 'playing school'. How twisted is that? Her last day of vacation and she wants to play school. She actually told me yesterday, after one of the M St. gang puked all over her bedroom, "I sure hope I'm not going to get sick. I want to go to school".

This is either a significant breakthrough in the academic life of my child or the end is near.

She's been a joy this vacation. She has, I think, experienced one of those upward bumps in emotional growth. Suddenly, without any pushing, prodding or other intrusive parental pressure she's been focused on things like organization and helpfulness. She's suddenly brushing her hair 100 strokes each day and remembering to wear her retainer. She composed a list of "rules" for herself to keep her desk tidy. Last night we were watching Food Network and when she got up to get herself some water she asked if she could bring anything for anyone else. And then she asked if she could iron some napkins.

She's almost a dozen years old. I remember this time, with all those opposing forces striving within you, wanting to be grownup, wanting to stay little, wanting to fall in love and still thinking boys are kinda icky, trying to imagine what you'll be like as an adult and modeling, every once in a while, what you think that will look like. Anyway, she's just as cute a button and I like seeing her arrive at this new level, mostly because it seems like it is rooted in a secure place. Which is great because, let's face it, we're hardly out of the adolescent woods yet!