Young Love

So I just made a mad dash to my favorite store for midnight runs, Target, for a quick leotard for dance camp for tomorrow.  First world issues so I will not pursue this topic any further.  Let's just say I was not happy about going and actually may have grunted at the cashier.

Moving on...as I get outside to leave I see our new neighbors and say hi and ask how they are settling in.  They look e-lated and say they have a new cat.  I say, "Oh how sweet." (Thinking ugh I hate cats.  Fake smile.   High pitched yay.  You get it.)  Well then I ask what they named it and she answers, "Cahhrut"  Because I didn't understand her northern accent, I ask, "Did you say care-rut?" in my most southern accent because that's all I got y'all.  It was "carrot" because of it's color.  I tell them I am so happy for them (just don't let me around it) and then I climb up into my husband's truck feeling like a country bumpkin at best. I carried a sweet smile knowing I'm not changing.

You see my husband and I went to college and both got advanced degrees.  I studied English linguistics and Spanish linguistics. (Hablo español. And my husband just taught me how to do the ~ on the "N" that he learned while shopping at the Apple store.  Don't judge, college has been a while.)  I actually taught children to speak English.  But you also need to know that none of this matters when you live in the south.

I once told someone that if you live in the south, you have a little "country" in your family somewhere.  This lady looked appalled and said, "Well, I don't! All my family has money."  And I'm thinking maybe we don't need to hang out anymore because it's the truth.  Money or no money, honey, embrace your culture.  Let it ride...

So as selfish as it sounds, I evaluated my "country" all the way to Target, which might be the most yuppie place I could shop?  (And yes I frequent Walmart but Target is closer and has leotards.)  And sometimes my daughter's "country" comes out.  Like this past year when all she wanted to wear was her cowgirl boots.  (Now don't even begin to call them cowBOY boots because she will correct you...)

Then I was thinking that I would probably get them from Target (ha) and need to be looking for them soon.  Then I was getting excited for their enrichment classes in the fall and time to myself.  And then I was excited for them to be with their friends.  And then I remembered my daughter's special friend from school.

And I'm sorry it took this long but here's the story with them...Sit back and get ready to think it's the cutest young love story ever.  Because it is.

So my oldest goes to enrichment classes with other homeschooled kids.  I signed her up because I wanted her to learn to sit in a school chair and practice school.  But most importantly, it meant I didn't have to teach Science or Social Studies.  Now that's the bees knees right there.  (If you are a homeschool hero mama, please ignore that last comment.  We all have our limits and mine are being tested every single day with this here thing called homeschool...I love it but don't love it.  Please understand my confusion and tension with the whole topic and let's proceed...)

She came home one day last spring and said she was getting married, in full seriousness.  She headed upstairs in search for a perfect dress, wanting to know if she had any white dresses that passed as a school uniform.  She told me where they were getting married, the school playground, and who her bridesmaids were going to be.  I said, "Well, honey, the most important thing here is who is this lucky fellow?"  She told me and I asked why she liked him so much.

She said, "Mommy, he will play puppy with me on the playground and I like his cowboy boots."

(I should add he also loves camo.  He came head to toe in camo to her birthday party.  He is absolutely precious.)

So how does a mommy handle this?  Well, she hides her laughter and sends her to her daddy, of course.  Daddy says that she cannot marry him without a long talk and they need to wait 20 years.  (Roughly until they are 27.  Sounded fair to me.)  She tells the special friend and they agree to wait.

She told me she also likes him because he likes science and is willing to get dirty.  And I just love her for this.  And while they are still friends and play together, she will continue to practice becoming friends with boys, a precursor to marriage.  Because one of these boys throughout her life will, Lord willing, become her husband one day.

And if you've been married for a good long while you know that it comes back to friendship, taking care of one another, and standing for the one you love.  And having some fun.  Because life is too short to be boring together.  And my little girl has a little of my crazy zany whimsy.  And I love her for it.  And I pray for the one that will love her for it too.  Like her daddy, please.