Last Wednesday I took KeAndra to get her drivers permit. It is something she HAS to have before she starts the actual class. We only have a 3 day window to get it, and it's only betwee 5pm-7pm. We couldn't do it Tuesday, and we couldn't do it Thursday because of other appointments...so it had to be Wednesday...no matter what!!! I hurry and rush home after work, I run inside the house, grab her letter thingy that says she's a student, grab her birth certificate, make sure I have her social security card...and then I run back out the door. Oops, I forgot my daughter, I run back inside and yell, "Come on Kiki...let's go & make sure you have your student ID". She saunters (yes saunters - bcuz teenagers are on their own time) into the living room, and again I look at her and say, "you have your ID right?". "YES mom, (I think she mentally rolled her eyes at me), I have my ID". Ok...let's go. We get in the car, and once again I say, "you got your ID right?". "OMG, yes mom...I have my ID, relax." So I say, "ok...well let me see it." Eyes definetly roll this time, and she pulls it out and says, SEE!!!. Ok, just making sure. :-) Some of you may wonder why I keep asking, but as a mother of a teenager daughter, they THINK they do things, and really they don't. Or they SWEAR they grabbed something, but really they didn't. Or they KNOW they set something somewhere, and really it's somewhere else. I've had instances where we've headed down the road and all of sudden she yells, "OMG turn around, I forgot such-and-such." Then of cousre I say, "well I told you to grab it."...then she says, "I know, but I THINK I left it on my bed." And they think I nag....geez. I nag for a reason dammit!!!!
Everything goes without incident. We get to the DMV, pull our number, wait about 30 seconds (not a big line tonight), then our number get's called and we head to the counter. We give him everything he asks for. Then he asks my daugter, "are you a citizen of the United States." I answer and say, "yes..she is". He politely says, "I have to ask her ma'am, and she has to answer the question. Are you a citizen of the United States" Of course she answered yes...but I'm kinda taken aback by the comment. Seriously...I can't answer for her anymore? It was almost like the feeling I got when I didn't have to wipe her butt anymore, when I opened the door and she said, "mommy you don't have to help me anymore, I'm a big girl now." Seriously...you don't need me anymore? WOW, my baby is growing up!!! She's a big girl now. :-(
Beware because this may start getting a little mushy. So as I'm standing there looking at her, I can't help but notice how much of a young woman she is now. She's my height now. She no longer has those chubby cheeks. The baby fat has turned into curves...it's so weird looking at her like that. Trying to see the young woman, instead of the baby. I think of everything she's accomplished, and her future dreams she's shared with me. Where did the time go??? I can still look at her and see my first born, my baby girl. And I don't care what anyone says...she's always going to be my Kikity Wikity and everytime I look at her I'll remember her chubby face and her cute little afro puff. Love you baby girl.
Of course she will always be your child, but not always your baby. I remember that as quite a large step you have to make in your mind----when you recognize them as another adult on a par with yourself and probably completely different than you expected. But you can keep your own memories! No one can take those away from you.
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