Growing Pains
How is it that my children seem to be growing up right under my nose? When they are small like Trinity, every milestone is easy to observe because they are big milestones, such as talking, rolling over, crawling, and walking. However, when they get older, those milestones are more difficult to see because they are more subtle. For instance, tonight Katy banged her shin on the dishwasher door, an injury that made me want to cry even though it hadn’t happened to me. But she didn’t cry. She grabbed her leg and cringed, but she didn’t cry. Only a few months ago, she would have been sobbing for five minutes, begging ice and all other types of medical care. When was it that she grew up enough not to cry at every little injury?
She’ll be nine in a few weeks, and I’ve already started to notice that push and pull in her that happens at this age–too old to be treated like a little girl and too little to be treated like an older kid. Nine can be a frustrating age. She definitely wants more independence, which is good, but not always appropriate. About a month ago, she had to go to the babysitter with Trinity, something she was not at all thrilled with; however, she is simply too young to spend six hours alone. She has also started speaking up for herself when Madeleine acts as all big sisters do and assumes that she is Katy’s second mother.
While I am writing this entry, it is 10:30pm here. Katy just came down from her room complaining that she can’t sleep because she is too hot. I told her to turn on the window A/C unit in their room. “But if I turn on the air, I have to close the door and it will be dark.” Ah, the eternal struggle of a nine year old, to be a little kid or to grow up.
July 24, 2008 5:51 pm 
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