Saturday, May 9, 2009

There'll be days like this my Mama said

Last night we took Gia and Livi out to eat because of their accomplishments in Accelerated Reader. I promised them dinner out for going above and beyond their goals, so they chose TGIFridays. As we were all sitting around the table on the patio talking, Gia giggled and told me I should dress up in a silver wig, get a table in a cute guy's section, and when he came over say, "Hey there, Sailor!" LOL She is so funny! Of course, this made me laugh out loud, thereby embarrassing her ("Gosh, Mommy, you are so LOUD!), but it made me realize a couple of things.

First, Gia has a great sense of humor. She pops off with random accents, makes some of the craziest observations, says some of the funniest things, and sometimes it's all at the same time. Getting her to talk isn't so easy sometimes, but get her at a table or playing a game, and she'll talk your ear off. I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming. She is smart (granted, sometimes her math skills concerning money can make you forget she's on the math team ;p hehe), thoughtful, and has an enormous loving heart. I cannot even express the joy I feel having her as my daughter.

Second, although I love who she has become and where she is in life now, I do miss her being little. There was a very young girl at the table next to us, and when she was finished eating her parents let her get up and stand at the table or go to the fence surrounding the patio while they finished eating. It reminded me of how when she was little Gia would ask to get up while we were waiting on our food or after we ate and pretend to be the server. She would ask for pen and paper and get to work. Sometimes she would act like a character straight out of Mel's Diner, and sometimes she would be very formal as if we were at a 5-star restaurant. She'd throw in an accent or two and scribble our orders down on her paper, turn around, come back, and present the food to us. She'd always ask how we liked it and if we wanted anything else. That alone made her imaginary food delicious.

She's growing up so fast! We were at Ashley and Olivia's birthday party today, and it seems like yesterday she was turning 5 at her surprise birthday party at the park, when really it's Olivia who is 5 now. Time flies, and as sad as it is sometimes, I feel honored to be a part of all of those girls' lives. I remember holding them for the first time, and now they are young girls, nothing babyish about them anymore. Even watching Gia's friends grow from snaggle-toothed Nickelodeon fans to rockstars-in-training, it still seems too fast. For me, of course, but not for them. They are so eager to grow up.

We went to Open House at the middle school Thursday night, and it reminded me of how it doesn't feel like I went to middle school myself so long ago. This being Mother's Day weekend and all, I've been reminiscing quite a bit, and it made me understand how my mom still sees me as a toddler in my little pink bikini and pigtails, holding my favorite red purse, posing for yet another photo; a picture that for everyone else looks faded in the family album, but a picture that for her is still as vivid as the day she took it. I guess those memories never really fade for a mom, and that I am thankful for. For me, for her, for everyone out there who loves her child without limits.

To all of you moms out there, especially mine, Happy Mother's Day.

1 comment:

  1. Today i was telling her that Mark wanted to name one of our kids Frances... yuck. She then proceeded to start saying "Frances, get me some soup!" in an old person voice.

    it was so funny i made her do it several times. when we were on the way home from dropping her off, Mark said... man, when she actually talks, she is so funny!

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