I Am Not Ready for Parenthood

Yes, a little late. I understand that. And, I also understand the longer I parent, the less I know. That absolutely flies in the face of any other life lessons! My oldest daughter is like me in many ways but so unlike me in many other ways. It has been this way from the beginning. She is strong willed, confident, a go getter, social, constantly on the go and doesn't take or like "no" for an answer. As I joke with people, she is a lawyer in the making. There is never an issue that she doesn't like to debate. "We are having ice cream for dessert." "Well, what about a cookie?" And so it goes. She challenges me to think outside the box. To look at things differently. These are things I do not expect from a 7 year old. Truth be told, I don't relish telling her she is right. (One of those things she and I have in common :) Anyway, she had been at a birthday party Saturday night. She didn't get home until 8:30. Then of course the time change and we had to be up early for church. Well, she wanted to go to her friend's house on Sunday afternoon after church and the mom would bring them to choir. I told her that I wanted her home. We had had a busy weekend. Sunday's are for family. (Plus, when she is gone I am lost without her!! She is such a great help in so many ways that I can't even name half of the time!) Well, I hear her on the phone with her friend. The friend must have been asking if she could come over and why couldn't she come over. Nature Girl was frustrated and disappointed with my decision and had worked a couple of angles to get her way. To no avail. So I hear Nature Girl say to her friend "Well, you have to obey your mom. What else can you do? Pack your bags??" My reaction was somewhere between shock and laughter! Part of me wanted to laugh out loud because it was funny and so intuitive. The other part of me wanted to cringe BECAUSE SHE IS ONLY 7!! As my hubby and I discussed this last night, we were trying to figure out where she would get something like that from. I told him I think she gets that stuff all on her own. She is incredibly sharp and doesn't miss a trick. She is a "still waters run deep" kind of kid. She files away everything she sees and hears for some future use. The good thing is she doesn't keep secrets and she tells me everything. Maybe not right when it happens but it comes out sooner rather than later. Her conscience for the most part is in the right place. All I can say is I am not ready for this . . .