Monday, May 17, 2010

Swing low

How time flies. It was way back in September of 2008 that Jacquie wrote her teetering post, you know, the post where Jacquie so eloquently talked about how her girl, then seven, was, “teetering on the ledge between childhood innocence and a worldliness that I did not realize I should expect from age seven.”

I’ve thought about that post a lot since I read it, as our girls are only 10 weeks apart in age, and like Jacquie I see my girl teetering. Still. Thankfully, still. And again, like Jacquie, “I want to drag her back down to the safe side, where boys will always be gross and moms are cool and smart and worthy of giant mooshy love notes of apology taped to their bedroom doors after a particularly rough day.”

Yesterday we had the distinct pleasure of having Jacquie’s girl come over to play, and I’m so very pleased to report that the seesaw was resting solidly on the ground. Their teeter was tottering completely on the little girl side. The play that I witnessed involved pretending they were sisters, and babies, and mamas, and dolphins, and all manner of other make believe scenarios, none of which had to do with being a teen pop star or Hollywood diva.

The older two girls included Merrell, a whole 3 years younger, in all their play, and like all kids do, the three of them made magic out of the mundane.

We spent hours at the pool, where a simple towel, once wet, became endlessly amusing. It was a magic carpet


and a shawl, and even a superhero-type cape, which was best put on by swimming under it, of course.

Not all of my oldest daughter’s friends play this way, and I have to admit that I’m hesitant to agree to playdates with the girls who I know would rather try on makeup or talk smack about their classmates. I know I can’t pick my child’s friends (at least not for long), but is it so bad to want their seesaws to swing low for a while longer?

11 comments:

not yet pool weather in PA said...

ahh..the ol' see-saw. I like that term. I'm so thankful I had that 3rd child or I'd just be hanging with the tween and teen crowd. Someone still thinks I'm pretty cool and likes to hang out in the tree house.

I love the pic..now stop giving Anneke and Merrell the tall juice so the rest of us can catch up :)

Me, You, or Ellie said...

Aw. I just love this Beth, and I love the awesome shot of your big girls and Jacquie's um, not so big (but mighty) girl.

I babysat your girls a couple of years ago, and brought Jacquie's girl along. Which meant I did not have to do one dang thing except watch them entertain themselves all day long.

It warms the cockles of my heart to hear about those 3 girls making magic together.

Lovely.
xxEllie

Pat said...

yes, treasure that childhood while you can. And I wish for you girl teenagers like you (and Dorothea) were...difficult but never out of control or totally unreasonable...just normal!
Love, Mom

Kathi D said...

If they were mine, I would be wanting to lock them in the basement to keep them just as they are now! Perfect.

Dr. Heckle said...

Mine is only two and I can't even imagine what it's going to be like when he's older when I'll have to worry about who his friends are and what direction his life is going, etc. Yikes!

Mom C said...

I love this Beth - such sweet, adorable girls. That last picture is priceless.. Mom C

Me, You, or Ellie said...

Oh, how I love those girlies! Thanks so much for showing my baby a great time, she was terribly mad when I made her leave.

xoxo

Jacquie

loving "normal" in PA said...

I'm just so thrilled that Pat called me "normal" :)

I hope and pray that my girls only give me the same level of "difficult and unreasonable" that I gave my mom...with a little less "mouth".

Thanks Pat!

Me, You, or Ellie said...

I'm double-commenting but I just read this again and looked at the photos again and love the dripping wet towels in the last photo, and love that you didn't say "Girls! No towels in the pool for the love of pete's sake!"

It's just lovely.

Ellie

Me, You, or Ellie said...

Well they wore me down slowly, Ellie. First the wanted just one wet towel for the three of them in the hot tub, then just one more for the "cold" pool, then, well, whatcha gonna say to the third girl who wants one?

"Sure." that's what your gonna say.

Plus, they aren't my towels, and I didn't need to haul them with me :-)

Me, You, or Ellie said...

YOU'RE going to say...

beth