Drama

I am the proud mother of a (soon-to-be) teenage drama queen. MacKenzie will start middle school in the fall. She is excited to be leaving the little kid world of elementary school, but she is starting to get a little nervous about the new world in that enormous building, where she is sure she is going to get lost, no one will like her, she won't have any friends, she won't have good teachers, and she won't understand her Math homework. She didn't believe me when I told her that middle school is going to open up a whole new world of opportunities for her. She will make more friends than she can count on all her fingers and toes. She will love her teachers. She will surprise herself by how easy her Math becomes.

We had a parents' meeting tonight for the show choir kids. The kids had to come too so that they could run through the show (verbally for now) and give the director their T-Shirt sizes. Tyler stayed home because he was sick with strep-throat. While the kids were off doing their thing, we met with one of the other parents who has been heading up the efforts to really make something of our group. It was informational, well organized, and I'm very impressed so far. I hope that we get tremendous support from the other parents. I am the secretary of the Performing Arts Parents group. Yikes! We'll see how that goes. ---Where was I?--- Oh yeah --
After the meeting, I talked to the director about Tyler, picked up some additional music for him, and then talked to her about Mac's apprehension. She looked at MacKenzie and told her that if she needs anything, has any problems, wants to talk, someone is picking on her, etc., that MacKenzie can come to her and she will "deal with it." She will always be here for her. I cannot tell you how special that made Mac feel. She just beamed. We were walking to the van and she said that "Mrs. E" was already her favorite teacher, and the new school year hasn't even started yet. She is now looking forward to middle school.

I wish I was. I'm not ready for my baby girl to grow up. Isn't that horribly selfish of me? I look back over the past 11 years since she was born, and all that she has accomplished. I see her first steps, her first words, her first everythings. I remember the little girl in the cowgirl Halloween costume when she was 2 - all fur and fringe, hat and boots, long curls sticking out from the hat and the look on her face - that of a very very very tired little girl who had eaten too much candy. I remember when she was about 6 - Tyler had just started performing in show choir. She was too young to be part of it, but that didn't stop her from learning ALL the songs, and ALL the dances, and doing them right there in the audience, to the delight of many of the other parents. I remember her really liking "Baby One More Time" by Brittney Spears and making me play it over and over and over in the car so that she could sing along (to this day, I HATE that song!). And I look at her now - she is almost as tall as me (not a big accomplishment by any stretch of the imagination), her hair is much longer and beautifully curly, her eyes are so green, she has a beautiful smile, and her laugh can light up any room. She is planning for braces within the next year. She is anticipating "womanhood," and dreading it at the same time. My little girl isn't just my little girl anymore. While I'm still her mom (with all the power that implies), she is becoming a friend too. I'm sure that sometime in the not so distant future, my daughter will look at me and think, "Mom you are soooo lame!" But maybe not. Maybe we will always be close. I hope so.
Did I say DRAMA? Wonder where she gets it?