Yoo 455 - Don't Grow Up

First and foremost, thank you Smil!!

She sent me a box of homemade rice crispy treats...and the box was covered in puppy dog stamps. It was an awesome surprise.

Even if it took me an extra week to get the surprise, due to the post office's CONVENIENT hours of 9-5. I've ranted about that enough though, as Greg and the Kyoo mom will affirm.

I am still my father's daughter.

Now onto what's really plaguing my mind. Something happened today that proved I will be an emotional sap when I have kids of my own.

My youngest sister created a Facebook account. A little message popped up on my phone announcing that she wanted to add me as a friend.

I sat at work, staring at this message and trying to figure out who it was. The name wouldn't register…until it did. Jordie?? My little Jordie?!

But she used to be a baby! I remember changing her diaper and holding her little jaundiced body in the window to catch the sun and rocking her to sleep in the middle of the night while watching infomercials during that first, new summer.

I probably only rocked her to sleep once, because I can't see my teenage self doing that every night, but still. I know it happened once and that's worth mentioning.

And now she's got a Facebook account!

Which shouldn't be a big deal, but I went to welcome her to Facebook and what did I behold? A cute, little tiger cub.

Her profile picture was this cute little tiger cub!

For whatever reason that pulled my heart strings and I about teared up.

Innocent child. DO NOT GROW UP.

It made me aware of this intense, protective love I never realized that I had. Shoot. It pains me to think she's starting to venture out on her own and has so many experiences ahead of her, good and bad. I feel it for each of my sisters. I've experienced each age they're at and I remember so vividly the good and bad.

Morgie and I talk about the woes of trying to date in college and decide what to do with your life.

Smil never really talks to me because she's busy being a crazy college freshman. But she sent me rice crispy treats and is battling a possible stress fracture while training for her first marathon. Ohhhhhh do I know what that's like.

And Jordie is just starting the awkward preteen years.

It's like I want to shelter them from all of the pain ahead of them. Be their sieve and just let the good thru. But at the same time I know they need both. They need the experience that I've gutted thru and now cherish. I just want the best for them though! I want a funny, hard-working man to woo Morgie and be her adventure buddy. I want Dylan to be healthy and able to run and chase her goals. And the selfish part of me wants Jordie to stay a care-free kid, forever sheltered on a ranch with horses and any other animal her heart desires.

Any parent ready this is like, duh, welcome to our world.

If it's this bad with my sisters, I'm going to be a wreck with my own kids. They aren't even born yet and I already don't want them to grow up.

And all this because Jordie created a Facebook account.

Life moves too fast. (except for the hours between 8am and 5pm on Monday thru Friday...)

Have a great day :-)