Growing up...

I notice a bit of a change in Paige since she started school.  Although she looks a bit older recently (see above photo of Paige in stylish outfit on big kid swing casually brushing hair out of eyes and watching the big kids).  She's now anxious to get in the kindergarten area to see her friends, barely saying goodbye to me.  She walks with confidence into the group of friends and begins to have excited and hushed conversations with them as I watch on trying to listen in.  "Don't hear me!!" she says as she is embarrassed to let me in on their little secrets.  There is no longer the excited "Mommy!" when she sees me at the end of the day.  She's happy to see me, but not super tired or anxious to get home. She comes home reciting poems and songs that I don't know and talks about new friends.  Leaving the school she'll boldly call out to a friend.... "Bo! hey Bo!", she said one day, "I have a bike too and mine has pedals!".  As much as I see her growing up and acting a little different she's also far from the day she won't want to be seen with me or yell out to a boy while I'm around.  I'm soaking up every minute while she's still such a kid.

She talks a lot about how she doesn't want to grow up.  I asked her if mommies do anything that is fun.  "No", she said.  She is adamant that she will never have a job and will always live at home.  I asked her how she plans on not growing up.  "Stopping eating" she said.  Yikes! Actually, correction, she wants to stop growing at 5.  She is really excited about being 5, but nothing beyond that.

Physically I have noticed she has grown recently as well.  At home we measured her at more than 37 inches (finally!), and her shirts are all getting short.  Also, I tried to put her in a baby swing the other day, as some huge kids teenagers were on the regular swings (annoying) and I almost couldn't do it.  She has definitely gotten heavier and taller.