A moment to savor

Tee is the only on in our house dressed so far this morning. I am wearing a pair of fleece yoga pants and a purple t-shirt that has been washed too many times to be worn in public. Sweet Potato is still in her jammies, and my wonderful husband is still in bed. Tee, however, could not wait to get dressed into her favorite dress, a cotton knit sundress covered with large hibiscus flowers in orange, pink, and red. Due to frequent washings, it's just a little too short to be worn in public, at least with out leggings. And it's also a little to chilly for sleeveless attire this morning. But like almost every other morning for the past month, Tee has decided to wear that dress.

Only this morning she encountered a problem. The dress was on the hanger "brackards," or backwards for those who don't speak three-year-old. Actually, it had been hung up inside-out. Never mind, that it had been Tee who hung up the dress, she was quite confused about what had happened to her dress, and whether or not it could be fixed. But of course, thanks to some mommy magic, or just having more life experience than a three-year-old, the problem was immediately solved. And for my trick, I was rewarded with those precious words, "you are so cool."

I am so savoring those words. Granted at this time in our life, I am still her hero. She still thinks I'm beautiful, and wants to be just like me and do everything I do, at least most of the time. I know the days are coming however, and (from what my friends with older daughters say) sooner than I think, when she will not think any of those things. And if she tells me I'm cool, it will most likely be laced with sarcasm. It will be during those times that I will probably have to do something that does take a little mommy magic (or just more life experience) to solve more serious problems that could save her grades, or reputation, or at least her social standing. And my reward in those times will be remembering when I was cool for knowing how to turn a dress right-side out, and knowing that one day, she will appreciate or at least understand why I do all the things I do for her.