Little Girl, Big Shoes

This is for all of the middle children out there!

Yesterday was a long day at our house, as Sundays usually are. I had gotten up extremely early in order to get some house work done. I made blueberry muffins for breakfast and got us all off to church with relatively little yelling and we were almost on time.

We took Spencer out to lunch for his fourth birthday (more on that later)and then brought a friend home for the day. The kids played computer games and board games. Then I pulled out oatmeal boxes that I had been saving for 'something' and let them get creative. I got a lot more house work done (although, really, do you EVER get it all done?). Before I knew it was dinner and then bedtime. Oldest daughter, Kiley, was ready for some quiet time and went to bed at 7:45. Laurel and Spencer wanted to play Scene It for a few minutes. I was honestly barely able to keep my eyes open. I had the kiddos brush teeth and then head to bed.

I was just settling in when I heard the dog barking. I forgot that I had left her out. I let her in, and checked on the kids. Kiley was quietly reading, Spencer was listening to a story on cd, and then there was Laurel. I could hear her little voice chattering away in her room. She has no door on because of a slamming issue, so it was easy to see in. Laurel, 7 1/2, was sitting at her desk with a family of plastic cows. The mama cow was giving her children orders and the bull was making sure they followed through. My girl was so lost in this world she had created that she wouldn't have heard me if I had spoken. But I didn't speak. I just watched as she carried out her play. Each cow had a different voice, and she can even do accents! Laurel has done this since she was tiny. She's not picky. She'll use crayons, sticks, or coins as her characters. She can just go into this little bubble and drown the world out with her drama.

As this middle child, she does have a hard way to go. I often expect her to keep up with her older sister, to be more patient with her younger brother, and to react immediately to what I request. Her histrionics can wear me out, her temper is exasperating.

Last night, though, all of those tumultuous feelings were washed away. Looking on my angel wearing her pink pajamas and a pair of my black, high heeled shoes my breath was taken away. This little girl of mine is so perfect.