Sorry I’m late this morning. I had to get up early and put The Girl’s hair in braids. She has woken up at the crack of dawn for days now-waiting for me to have time to braid her hair. I finally explained last night that no matter how early she wakes, I won’t have time. See-morning is my time. I get stuff done before they are awake and I can’t compromise that or I’ll be running behind all day. I am hair-challenged and braids take me forever to do right so it just didn’t fit out day.
Then we had an entire conversation wherein I defended myself for not being E’s mom. E’s mom does braids and makes fresh cookies for playdates and hems the uniform skirt so her kid doesn’t look like a dope. E’s mom has three kids too and yet she always looks like a million bucks when she arrives at school pick up. E’s mom also might be the nicest person I know. In fact, she is such a super-mom she often calls me to see if she can pick up The Girl from school and drop her off. You know, to make my life easier. Someday I hope to grow up to be E’s mom. In the meantime, I had to remind The Girl that I work two other jobs and that is why I am not nor will I ever be E’s mom. (The fact that even if I was a total stay at home mom I wouldn’t have my sh** together like that woman is irrelevant here. The Girl will find out my shortcomings soon enough. In the meantime-I’ll blame the jobs.) She, as always, was lovely and accepted my explanation and in fact started telling me all the reasons I was a good mom. She really is incredible.
So this morning when she arrived in my bed with her book at o dark thirty, I felt a pang of guilt. I started rearranging my schedule in my mind. Then I fought with my brain because we had already set the limits and discussed this last night. No, I would not change my schedule. She would get pigtails as usual. Then she said, “mom, I’m not here for braids I just woke early and I thought I could read and maybe snuggle.”
Cue Melting Heart. Cue the overwhelming feelings of loss I’ve had lately because I can see her growing away from me more and more.
Cue braids. Just this once-I swear.
m begs me to do braids, at night.
after the little kids are in bed,
and m is reading a book,
i do 10-12 little braids,
(with wet hair)
takes forever!
but in the morning she takes
them out and her hair is all
crinkly and adorable.
totally worth it.
Look how gorgeous she looks in this picture!
Your girl is everything wonderful. And her mom is someone she will want to grow up and be.