5 going on 15

How do you stop your kid from growing up? Riley is going to be 6 this summer and it's just going too fast for us. I can remember the day we brought her home from the hospital, not knowing a thing about what to do with a baby, wondering what she was supposed to wear to sleep -- since you can't put blankets on them, but you don't want them to be cold and you don't want them to suffocate, so you can't have bumpers, but you don't want them to fall through the crib, even though they won't since they are too big, but they are so tiny at the same time (you get my drift!)



But now, I'm going from wondering what to do with my baby girl, to trying to figure out why my 5 year old princess has manifested into a 15 year old drama queen. Sometimes I forget she's only 5, and I have these "grown-up" expectations of her and I need to remind myself that she's still a kindergartner trying to learn the ropes of life. But I definitely forget it all when she, picture it, rolls her eyes and slams her bedroom door on me because she doesn't like what she hears.



She asked me the other day if she could change her birthday, so she could be 6 now. She also told me she would like to "play the piano and the guitar, but not at the same time." Luckily for us, she'd rather start with the guitar -- considering there is definitely no room for a piano in our house...unless we put it in the garage.



Ahhh, and another funny conversation to share...we've been trying hard to keep Riley on the right track with food, teaching her about trans fats, nutrients, and what's healthy. Yesterday, we were at a friend's house and there were tons of snacks available...to which the following conversation occurred:

Riley: Momma, I can't have a brownie, can I?

Me: No, Riley, you need to eat real food, like those veggies, or that mini pizza Shelley is making.

Riley: After I eat a carrot, then can I have a brownie?

Me: If daddy were here, would you be asking him that?

Riley: (in a whiny, but quiet voice) No.......

Me: What would you be doing then, Riley?

Riley: (in a mopey tone) Eating the carrots.....

Funny how she thinks she can walk all over me, and I'm the stricter one out of the two of us!