Growing on Up

Abby has been asking to get her ears pierced for awhile. She even had a special jewelry box where she would keep only her earrings for future use. I didn’t want her to do it until I thought she was responsible enough to remember to clean them three times a day on her own. Also, it is a big deal! So she was ready for awhile, and finally I was too. On Christmas morning she opened a card that said she was going to the mall two days later to get her ears pierced.

On a totally different note I finally realized something about Abby. Abby is the one I have to work really hard to be patient with. I have this mini Polaroid of her in my wallet. She is just smiling holding her dollie. At the bottom of the be picture I wrote, Be patient with me mom.  Whenever I am stressed or sad about something she always ups her questions, pleading for attention, asking for things. I never could understand why she would do that, and why she wasn’t old enough to understand that I need a few minutes sometimes! I realized the other day as if a huge light switch was turned on in my brain, what it was. She has a personality that can really read people’s moods and she takes on other people’s pain. So she likes to be right next to me when I am stressed or sad. And she tries to connect with me by asking a billion questions, asking for attention, to do things, etc. So on the particular day that I realized this is what she does, I declared it for both of us to hear, and gave her the biggest hug. The poor girl broke down in tears because I finally understood her.

So the other day when things were high stress at our house at night I put all the kids to bed as fast as I could. Abby found me and asked me if I was ok, and rubbed my back. Then I asked her to go to all her sisters, give them another kiss goodnight, and read them a book. She did and then she went to bed feeling like she had really helped.

Back to the ear piercing, neither of us cried, and it was fun to just go out with her and do this:

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