My girl

Kylee.

I say it all the time, but you have NEVER met a mother/daughter duo that is so very much alike.  I watch her life play out, like a movie, before my eyes and it's one I've seen before.  Like a classic, remade.  A slightly better, newer version.

The other day we were in a pretty serious debate over whether she would or would not wear leg warmers to tumbling.  This is probably the first of many arguments about clothing that she and I will have.  She was being soooo stubborn- absolutely refusing to wear them even though they were brand new, and she'd cut the tag off just seconds before this argument, swearing she loved them.  But when she has her mind made up, there is absolutely no changing it.

These petty arguments drive me totally bonkers. But I love her so hard it hurts.

The boys were at wrestling the other night, and Kase was asleep so it was just Kylee and I hanging out.  We were having the best time together and I felt kind of a pang in my heart, knowing that not too many years from now she'll be busy with friends and other things and we won't have many nights like we had that night.  "Stay." I whispered to her.  She kind of rolled her eyes and laughed because I say it to her all the time.  She knows I loved her at age one, two, three, four, and now five, but time is just going way too fast. But she gets it. I don't even have to tell her, "You'll understand when you're a Mom." Because she already understands.  After a big hug, she replied, "Mom, of course I'm going grow up so I can't stay like this forever.  But I'll always be just like this, you know? Just me.  I'll always be your Kylee. I'm  not going to change who I am you know."

And oh how I hope those words are true.  I hope she never changes.  I love who she is.  I love her stubbornness, her crazy emotions, her easy smile and her contagious energy.  But what I love most about Kylee is that she doesn't let other people change her.  She is who she is, she likes what she likes, and she says what she thinks.