I was blessed..she picked a very conservative coral. (Oh sweet baby J..thank you.)

Laurel likes me.  She really likes me.  This may be an odd thing to say but I know it will be a matter of time when she will not.  We will butt heads and probably, I won't like her very much either.

So now, I appreciate her wanting to tell me about her day.  In a few years, it will be likely when I ask her about her day and she will either say "fine" or "nothin' '".  Even when I am tired and on a tough commute home (because both girls are hungry, thirsty and we are 15 minutes away), if Laurel tells me anything about her day, I try to stick to it like a static.  Recently, she told me about a new friend she had made.  She told me about her needing arm guards when doing archery.  She talked about being scared of strict teachers in the first grade.  I told her that this was okay because I am strict.  She laughed at this...according to her I am strict only twice every month which after a little multiplication she figured that this was 24 times a year.

Currently,  I am flattered that she has asked to join me in my spin class because she wants to be around me when I really like what I am doing.  I do have to chuckle because when she is old enough to actually join me in that class, she may not want to be seen with me (and my gross, uncool gym clothes from Target, not Lulu Lemon.)

Right now we have fun in the car trying to figure out lyrics and singing really loud.  Right now our favorite is the chorus of Chasing the Sun by The Wanted.  I was a freakin' hero by downloading this on her personal play list.

She will hold my hand in the parking lot when I ask her to and won't claim that it is stupid and that she is old enough to know.

While she gives me small gestures that I treasure, I try to do the same.  This weekend we went to get a pedicure together.  She picked a blue polish for herself and asked for acceptance.  I was fine with this color as long as it was just for her.  She loved it for herself and I told her is was beautiful on her and let her pick out my color.  I was blessed..she picked a very conservative coral. (Oh sweet baby J..thank you.)

This polish exchange brought me back to 1985.  In the Maine Mall, there was a store called The Earring Tree.  This store was a couple of hundred square feet of just...earrings.  Walls were covered with earrings (of 80's) glory..big, metallic, dangling or pastel.  I would pick out these atrocious earrings, trying to have mature taste.  While we were not buying, my mom would tell me what good taste I had.  I know this seems like an odd, random gesture..but it sticks to me just like an the onion bagel.  While I was in high school, every morning she would ask if she could make a bagel (my favorite--onion) for me for breakfast.  Every morning...regardless of my mood or how I treated my younger sister.  "Can I make you a bagel?"

Right now it is a balancing act.  At her age, I parent and we like each other.  In the future, I will try to parent and avoid the easy route of trying to be her friend.  I know that I will want to give in and be cool but this can't happen.  (With my luck, that freakin' Paul will be lurking.)  This will be very hard.  I will hope that we can get through that period of mother and daughter and emerge as two adults wanting to be each other's friend out of choice, not just because we are related.

But right now Laurel is just six and a half...yay!  I appreciate the songs we sing and the blue nail polish.  The boundries are there and I try to keep them as defined as possible.  But again, this is easy at six and a half.