December 7th:
She drove away in her car. Licensed & insured. Just to school. Then she'll go to work. It's nice to not have to spend an hour picking her up from school and driving her to work and home again and then another 40 minutes this evening; back at 6 to pick her up and home again like I've been doing 2-3 times a week since October......
But I'll miss it too. We had some good talks about boys, school, life, friends. We found a new song on the radio together that made us swoon about love & romance; past (me), present (me, a hopeful her) and future (her, hopefully still me...)
We discussed at length the meaning of the lyrics: did he walk into a cafe and it's love at first sight, he instantly imagines a whole future with her or is it a couple in love meeting at a cafe and he is planning to pop the question if he can get the nerve to walk in but he's nervous because he's not sure she's ready..... and our favorite lines "you wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you and you're beautiful" and "promise me you'll always be happy by my side and I promise to sing to you when the music dies" and how he's asking her to be happy next to him no matter what, in success, in failure, in sickness, when it's hard and they're figuring things out and he's saying he'll be there for her when nobody else is and when life seems bleak. he'll do his best to bring her happiness.... and.....
Because this is what we do... we talk about everything. and we both like it.
December 8th:
we went to the bank to sign her up for a teen checking account. I still have some control over spending but she has a way to deposit her checks and pay for gas easily and start practicing being responsible, writing checks, using a debit card, etc.
December 15th:
Took her shopping at Toys R Us for her brothers. Taught her how to use her debit card. It's so natural to me. I forget how much I take for granted that she understands. She doesn't. She still needs me.
December 21st:
She drove us to the bank. She wanted help learning how to deposit her check. Ooops! We forgot deposit slips and her checking account number so we had to go inside and do it the hard way. She was embarrassed but she survived. Jacob and Mason, however, destroyed a pen and got ink all over themselves trying to pry a quarter out of the candy machines by the door BUT they were quiet while we waited in line and discussed her check depositing strategy.
Next we drove to the gas station to practice getting gas. There are so many things I assume she knows. She had withdrawn cash to pay for the gas so after we figure out which side her gas tank is on and park at the pump and make sure we get the number of the pump we walk inside together. I tell her she needs to give the $$ to the cashier and she looks at me panicky... "you didn't tell me I needed to bring the money in with me!!!" So I stand there and wait for her to run back out and get her $$ and the cashier looks at me funny and asks if she can help me and so I say "oh I'm helping my daughter figure out how to gas up her car for the first time" so when Carly walks in the cashier is grinning at her and telling her how happy she is to be part of her first gas pump experience and teases me about how I should have brought a camera. Carly sends me a little bit of a dagger glare and says "thanks mom" with a sarcastic smile as she does not particularly like this kind of attention. She likes to appear sophisticated and in control at all times, not inexperienced and "LAME" (her words not mine)
December 29th:
My 39th birthday.
I'm growing up too. This is also painful. ouch. I'm not just exactly where I want to be this year. I have some things to change, some things to learn, some things to become.
I want to be someone she can continue to learn from.
She made me some Happy Birthday cupcakes all by herself. "Warm chocolate cupcakes with molten centers" MMMM! you make a chocolate mint ganache and let it chill. Then you whip up your cupcake batter and fill your cupcake pans, placing a heaping teaspoon of the ganache on top so after they bake you end up with a lovely chocolate cupcake with a creamy, minty, chocolaty middle. She kept making little mistakes because she didn't read through the directions fully. ahhh..... she is my daughter! But they turned out all right in the end!
And you know....
I think we will too.
We're growing up.
It's painful. It's exciting. It's inevitable.
9 comments:
Oh, Jamie! what a beautiful post. You are an awesome mom, and have accomplished SO much in your life. (believe me, 39 is YOUNG!!) You look beautiful, and so does your wonderful daughter. Beautiful is the only word I can think of for you both. You are doing it (life, motherhood, womanhood) RIGHT, I am so proud of you. (and in extreme awe!)
happy, happy birthday! yesterday!
Definitely no epidural for it. It is HARD. But good, too. I mean...what is the alternative? She is a great girl!
When I was growing up my mom NEVER got gas. She just refused. My dad always did it (or he didn't and then they'd argue about it until he did), but when she got "independent" (another story) she started pumping her own gas. Since I hadn't ever been present when my dad put gas in the car I had to be taught that cars, you know, need GAS. Sigh. I was clueless! ;)
That's awesome Jamie! I know it's hard to see her growing up, but you have done an amazing job with [all] of your kids. I hope Audrey and I have that kind of relationship!
Happy late birthday! :) She is growing into a beautiful young lady. I hope I can take some cues from you when my kids get a little bigger. I look up to you so much!
You are an amazing lady and mama :) I love the relationship you have with Carly and ALL your kids. I hope to have the same when mine when they're bigger!!! Good luck with the coming year and I know you'll accomplish your goals cuz you're just amazing like that!!! Thank you for being such an example to me!!!
You really need to become a writer and get paid for your talent. I love reading your posts. You are amazing.
I am not looking forward to the same experience that is coming my way in a few weeks. I wonder if anyone could really invent that epidural in just a few weeks. Not just for Valorie but the others too. I cried on Sunday as I took Katie to her new Sunbeam class. She is a big girl now. I can't believe that she is no longer a baby. They grow so fast.
Those first two paragraphs made me want to throw up but after that it got a little better. I barely read these blog things but not to bad honey. I still love you very much even though your now 39! xoxoxoxo
Ditto to the first part of the Gubler family comment. You are an amazing writer!
Hey, does Mark have a website for his carpet cleaning stuff? We need to get our carpets cleaned and I want to check out a few places.
You are so beautiful and young Jamie! I hope so bad Kaelani and I are close like this when she gets older. Can't believe Carly is growing up! I laughed so hard about Mason and Jacob in the back ground messing around while Carly is trying to be a mature grown up in the bank. Hilarious! You have amazing kids!
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