This post is all about our ninth child. Our adorable caboose (to continue the train metaphor). She is as the song says "a strange mixture of a woman and a child". She is only ten, but sometimes acts much older.
She enjoys dressing up, doing make-overs, and playing with the boys in the neighborhood, especially our next door neighbor (and best friend since she was three), Reed, whom she used to call "Weed".
She has turtles and catches tadpoles and bugs for them, wants a rabbit again badly, but Mom doesn't, and loves our dogs, Jack and Pearl. She loves having a cell phone, handed down from our short-time foreign exchange student. She will happily make me a gourmet salad at the drop of a hat (or plea from me)and enjoys using her play baking oven. She has loved pink, pink, pink all her life, but is beginning to like green and torquoise,too. She likes to climb trees and goes everywhere barefooted. But, she loves to cuddle with Mommy and DaDa still, and that's my favorite part.
Being the youngest has some perks, but also some challenges. Before she was born her oldest brother, 24 years her senior, told me, "You know, she will never really know me." It turns out that he is her favorite and closest sibling.
She loves being an aunt to her three nephews and one neice. And they love her! They come in our door shouting her name.
I wish she could stay this age forever. But, she will grow up and I just hope she can be one of our easier teenagers. We are, after all, getting older. The other day she asked me how old I would be when she graduated from high school. "Sixty-two", I tell her. "Why?", I ask.
"I just wondered if you would be still be alive to do that thing where you made fun of Hayley (the Senior Salute) for me."
"Yes, I'll still be alive when you graduate from high school and when you graduate from college. I'll still be alive when you get married and when you have children. Remember, my mother is almost 87, thirty years older than me, and she's still alive. I'll probably live a long time, too. I may not be alive when your children get married, but I'll watch from heaven, okay?" "Okay."
I just hope I don't look like this at her graduation.
4 comments:
I enjoyed reading this so much. Emma is such a sweetie and quite the character. I bet you she will be an easy teenager since she's so close to both you and dad. You should do a post on each of your children. It's so interesting to hear the mother's perspective on a person.
i really enjoyed this post too! it's been so fun watching emma grow up (can you believe i met your family when she was three?!). she has always been so smart and mature, but fun and adventurous at the same time.
also, i agree with emme! it would be so fun to read a post on each of the nine!
What a charming picture you painted of that sweet little girl. You were right to have her at your age. She gives you so much pleasure. I love it when I come to El Paso, and she acts so excited , and says, "grandma!" as if she is so glad to see me!!I wish I could be with her and the other 8 more often. When people look shocked when I'm bragging about them, I just tell them they don't know how wonderful they are.
I love that girl! Also, I really, really love your new profile pic. It's great in so many ways. You are rail thin, your holding hands with your lover, and it's just very creative! And Elaine's Mom, I'm sure she is not just acting so glad to see you. I'm sure she's really thrilled to see you!
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