Milestones

I am the proud mother of 3 sons and 1 daughter. My daughter turned 18 on Monday (January 12th). I remember the afro puffs, dolls, her curled up sleeping on Daddy's chest as an infant, clinging to me when she was sick, the stormy winters night when she was born, her first latching on to me to be fed.............WOW!! Watching her lately has become the most interesting thing in the world. As I have evolved and become more like my mother, she has grown intelectually and beauty. The thing I find most interesting is what happens when you start to see all of the seeds you planted in your children come to life. She won't take any mess off anyone, tries to treat people well, keeps her beau/male friends and significant others very much in check and understands Pre Calculus and Chemistry better than I ever did....LOL!!

**This is a picture of her at the Grand Canyon with one of her Marching Band Buddies on a recent band trip to Arizona.

It's shocking to see your children start turning into THEMSELVES - it's also a little scary, because that's when they start using your words against you, challenging you on YOUR principles, asking more and more questions and affirming themselves in the world. This is the transitional time as a parent when you must step back from the child and watch from a distance while she finds her way. Soon she will leave the nest and move into a college dorm. Then the fun really starts as hubby and I will no longer be able to monitor her comings and goings. But, now is the time to excercise great faith - this is the time to rest in the fact that we have taught her as much as we could, nurtured her as best we could...........and just like we couldn't keep her from falling off her bike as a child, we wouldn't dream of keeping her from going out into the world and finding IT as it finds her. We have been through this twice with our two oldest sons so you would think that I would be used to this feeling by now, but it sure is different when it's a baby GIRL.

Peace Lovies!!