Astrid throws her arms around me and says so loudly ‘you’re my best friend!’ And I giggle and melt into her hug and say ‘yeah, you’re mine too.’
She then makes sure our foreheads remain touching as she tells me that she really wants me to be at her birthday party this year.
As if there would be something more important going on in my life on July 23rd? As if.
*****
Sometimes it’s overwhelming how much she needs me at this age. Not just the physical things – the running, the climbing, the potty training, the ‘me do its!’, the food battles.
It’s the emotional stuff that gets me. How now she goes off on her own a little but always comes back for the reassurance of my arms. How she looks for extra kisses. How her hugs are not just with her arms…but koala style with her legs around me too.
I feel like the sun sometimes as she circles around me never going out of her narrow orbit. How my gravitational pull is what keeps her safe and steady. She’s my Venus. She’s close. Someday very soon she’ll be my Neptune.
*****
And it’s fitting that I’m her best friend right now. This time before she will be away at school. She’s at home full-time. Her other option is the cat and the cat doesn’t listen as well as I do. Nor push her in a swing.
I admit that she’s my best friend too. Together almost 24×7 there is certainly no one I talk to more. There is no one else whose hand I hold so often. We cry and laugh together.
She will know I am weak and not perfect like she must think about her biggest protector. But I’m there. I’m there for her hugs and I’ll be there at her parties. I’ll be there for the bad stuff and good stuff.
Because for now we are best friends.
..for Just Write and Momalom
Oh how I love this. And what a beautiful best friend she is.
christine recently posted..He Thinks I Should Do What!?
I have young kids too, and before we know it they aren’t going to want us around, and boy do I dread that day! My six year old started crying last night when I tucked him in because he said he was going to miss me so much when he goes to college. He must have been really tired…but I adore my little men, and relish in the fact that they need me so much. I told him not to worry, that he could call me every night to say “Goodnight” from college, and he started crying harder and said, “But I don’t know your cell phone number, Mommy!” Once I reassured him that by then he would have his own cell phone and I would program my number in, he finally smiled and drifted to sleep. These are the days:)
Oh how sweet. By then they’ll have phones just embedded in their heads when they leave, right? lol
Such sweetness. love that you are invited to her birthday party this year.
Robbie recently posted..It Happened
Exactly. Nice. I need to tell her that if I’m not invited she’ll be sitting there wondering where he cake is.
This is so perfect in every way. The koala size hugs are the best. When my little one also tries to completely smush his chubby little cheek into mine, I melt. xoxo
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted..Scenes From My Weekend – Williamsburg
This is so, so beautiful, and makes me teary. Because I totally get it, and my little boy is my best friend, too. I am his everything. My six year old, too, but he’s more independent now. My four year old needs me beside him to fall asleep. I tell him how much I love talking to him on the phone while I’m at work, and he asks me how my hearts feels… the things he says… it crushes me and makes me melt. It is crazy emotional, isn’t it? Being a mom? To these amazing, sweet little people who consider us the centre of their universe? Sigh.
Loukia recently posted..Love
I know. Overwhelmingly good. So good. xo
The sun and planet analogies were just perfect. I feel this way too.
Oh good lord. You made me swoon. Love this post!
Rachelle recently posted..The Pioneer Woman’s 2nd cookbook!
You are so lucky to have such a cute and sweet best friend. Not to mention totally stylish… ;D
Elaine recently posted..Mom!
Thank goodness there are no princess dresses in my size as I know she would totally make me wear one!
*sniff* I love this. I always feel that Monkey is my BFF too. One whose bum I have to wipe but I don’t mind at all.
Alison@Mama Wants This recently posted..The Second Time
LOL – in 50 years he’ll get to do yours!
Oh how I know and love this.
(best friends are lovely, as is that line about the sun.)
xo
Galit Breen recently posted..Walking Wishes
So adorable! Quarta is like a little duckling following me around all day lately. It was never like this with the (adorable, loved, and brilliant) boys, and I am loving it. She’ll hate me soon enough, right?
Jadzia@Toddlerisms recently posted..Well, Actually, Neither Do YOU, Mister
Oh yes. She will so let’s eat up every sweet moment now, right?
Did she prepare that breakfast just for you? What a doll!
m.
Mark recently posted..12
Oh yes, a lovely breakfast of eggs, onions, tea, pigs and cake. Isn’t that what you had this morning?
Oh my. How I love this! Just beautiful!
I love those toddler koala hugs.
ML@My3LittleBirds recently posted..{In Between}
My 14 year old will grudgingly give me a hug now and then. I so miss the sweet little boy who loved to sit on my lap, and insisted on a ‘day story’ every night before he could go to sleep. Cherish every single moment you are that little girl’s world.
maybaby recently posted..busy as a bee
I wish my one of my kids would be my best friend… I get to for the second before they say, “Mom, we are not friends anymore.” Darn kids.
Jen recently posted..Senioritis
Yes today she is already wiping off all of my kisses. Fickle beings.
I was just lamenting the other day that my two-year-old daughter was my best friend, but this spins it in a much more beautiful light. And so true – soon enough she will be too busy for me and I will be missing these days! Lovely post!
Leslie recently posted..If You Give A Mama A Trip To Target…
I love this so much – the koala style hugs and the whispers between best friends. This kind of orbiting happens in my house too and I love it.
Tricia recently posted..Words: invigorating to exhausting to invigorating
(I want you to be at my birthday party this year, too.)
Love this, Tracy.
Hard.
julie gardner recently posted..Today call me bad
We are all partying together this year, right? xo
When Zaid circles my legs and I step backwards and he’s there and I sidestep and he’s there and Mommy Mommy Mommy all day long…when I’m rolling my eyes b/c really, Daddy is right there, call him, he knows how to wipe butts too? I relish it inside. Every day.
Arnebya recently posted..BlogHer Book Club Review: Stephen Dau’s The Book of Jonas
Oh gosh that says it all, right? It’s funny because at 5:15 every day I sit down to watch the weather for just THREE MINUTES with my coffee. And every day I say “no one touch me or talk to me for these 3 minutes. Just these 3 minutes. That is all I ask!” – within 15 seconds they are all on me with ‘mom mom mom mom’ – GAH! lol
Waaah! *cue ugly Lucy cry*
My kids save my life everyday, too.
Love you, girl.
Lunch.Soon.
xo
Alexandra recently posted..Tricks To Beating The Shy Monster
Oy do they ever save me. And I mean it – somewhere in WI – we’re doing it.
She sounds like a very excellent best friend indeed. =)
Marta recently posted..SHHH… Secrets
Bud will ask, “you be my best fwiend?” But that is normally only when he wants something.
Jennifer recently posted..Are we doing our children a disservice?
“I feel like the sun sometimes as she circles around me never going out of her narrow orbit. How my gravitational pull is what keeps her safe and steady. She’s my Venus. She’s close. Someday very soon she’ll be my Neptune.”
This. I love this! I couldn’t have said it better.
Kristin @ What She Said recently posted..7 Ways to Enjoy the Beach With a Toddler
This is so beautiful…
I can relate, as I was each of my children’s best friend for a time. And it was beautiful.
It makes my heart ache beyond belief to think of my first born and I… how we truly were a “WE”.
Relish every. single. moment.
Karla Porter Archer recently posted..No Words
Oh I know. I so cherish this time that she is small. xo
This is so sweet and Astrid is just gorgeous. We MUST meet one of these days. We’re not that far away from each other. Any good writing or blogging conferences happening in the TC in the next year? Wish BlogHer or one of the smaller ones would come here!
Nina recently posted..When the English Teacher’s Kid Hates Books
I would love to meet you! Seriously, that would be awesome.
My sweet girl got married last year ~ and we just a magical year getting ready for her day. I count myself as blessed among women that my daughter and I started and continue as best friends. This is just lovely!!
Adrienne recently posted..Choosing Words
So blessed. So blessed. My mother is still my best friend too. xo
Oh those koala hugs. I love those. I’m going to miss them. It’s already getting so difficult to carry my little ones up to bed, or in from the car when they fall asleep (rare!).
I love that you are the sun. And I hope you do plenty of shining before your sweet one finds Neptune!
Thanks for joining!
Thanks for the wonderful link-up! I still try to get the koala hugs from my 7 year old daughter but yeah..I can barely lift her anymore.
Yes! They (and maybe it’s especially the girls?) do become like little best friends. They love you, they want to go every with you, and sometimes they listen. It’s a wonderful thing!
Kelly recently posted..QOTD: The NFL
How lucky you both are!! I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to talk and conspire with…although, I am loving her early toddler stage and certainly don’t want to RUSH any of it!
CJ recently posted..Just Write: The Yucky Love Stuff
This is beautiful . . . my little girl is also heading through a frustratingly independent time, but wants kisses and hugs and constant contact at the same time.
Her big thing is to hold me by the ears and force my head to give her nose kisses, on her terms. I don’t know what I do wrong when I give them to her, but, obviously, they’re not as good as when she controls the motion by pulling & tugging on my ears.
John recently posted..Where I relax and just type what crosses my mind
Oh John, that is just magical. Melt-worthy.
I love this. My youngest twin is this way with me, always coming back for just one more hug even when she’s off playing with friends.
Kristin recently posted..Five for Five ~ Pictures
Yes, they can be very sweet! My little girl is similar. Those pictures are lovely, she’s a gorgeous girl.
Stace recently posted..The things they do
My son is the one who needs the constant reassurance. Leila, as John said, is the independent one. She is off and running and flits in and out for her hugs and kisses, but that’s more for the fun of it than the need sometimes. CJ needs it. I think I will have a harder time when I become his Neptune. I’m already Leila’s Jupiter, a couple of planets away. I’m still CJ’s Venus.
She looks so much like Esther in these pictures!!! Such a great family