Popsicles and Popcorn: My Girls

God has blessed me with two girls. One has blond hair, the other black. One is 12 the other 3. One is my strong, independent, driven child the other is my prissy, dependent child. One is my oldest. One is my youngest. I am crazy about them both! I sent my 12 year old, Julia, off on an airplane by herself this week. She went to visit her best friend in Florida. A very hard "Mommy" day. To watch your child walk down a jet way which leads to a metal tube that will fly 40,000 feet into the air and land in another state without me there to protect her is a very hard day indeed. I miss her so much. It was just yesterday she was my 3 yr old, cuddled in my lap and bringing me a baby doll to rock and change. I watched her beautiful blond hair disappear down that jet way and I wanted to run screaming "Wait! I need her back!" of course that didn't happen. I would have been arrested for sure. Even with my "unaccompanied minor" gate pass in hand I am pretty sure they would have taken me away in handcuffs. She landed safely and is having the time of her life. I miss her so much!

I had a"girls night out" with my 3 yr old, Jaida. The boys went to a baseball game and we headed out to do "girl things". Since Jaida has been, in her own words, "dying to get her nails done" we put that on our agenda. We met some friends, another Mommy and little girl, and went out to eat, got their nails done and had ice cream. Sitting there in the booth with my 32 lb bundle of love warmed my heart. Her stringy black hair tied up in a pink bow, brown little arms, constantly- moving- body, never -stop- talking- cute- little- mouth self sitting next to me, sharing a pizza, brought me such joy. On the ride to the pizza place she never stopped talking-so excited. This was the dialogue, well monologue really: "Where we going? How far is it? When we get our nails done? Mason-Kate be there already? Ms. Beth have her pretty hair and pretty make-up on? She have her high-heels on? What shoes Mason-Kate have on? When we get ice cream? Where dat mall at? Where boys go? They have baby cones at that ice cream store?" and on, and on, and on....... She was very adamant about me having pretty hair and putting make up on and wearing high heels and looking cute. I tried to comply... I did take a shower, fix my hair, put my make up on, thought I had a cute outfit on until she said it was Ok (Xin told me it was cute) but the high heels....... sorry baby. She did tell me my flip flops were kinda high heels, they do have a wedge, and that passed inspection. Seriously.... where does she get this stuff? Such a fashion diva! It was such a PRECIOUS night. I savored every moment....knowing all too well that way too soon she would be walking down a "jet way" and out of my arms.