Attack of the Giggles!

As most of you know, Kara is turning five on Thursday, and evidently what comes with five is a little tiny look at what comes at 15! An illustration:

Last week I was driving Kara to school and she was complaining about not wanting to go to school, but just wanting to stay home. I asked her why and she returned to a conversation she had been focusing on for a few days regarding a little boy named Andrew who was chasing her on the playground. Daddy had already tried to explain to her that this is how boys show that they like you and want to be your friend, but Kara was not convinced. So there she sat in the backseat saying to me "Andrew chases me" as explanation for not wanting to go to school and poof! out of no-where I had a momentary mommy-insight and I called her on it - "Kara, you LOVE it!" I said. Her face exploded into the biggest smile ever. "Kara, you love that Andrew chases you! You think it's great." I said and she couldn't deny it. She just sat there blushing and grinning in a smile that is not all that unfamiliar to me from my own youth. We laughed together as only mommy and daughter can over "boys." And then we just let it go. No teasing, no words of anyone k-i-s-s-i-n-g-ing in any trees, but we knew how she really felt and we enjoyed sharing this little secret.

Today we sat down to fill out birthday party invitations for Kara's friends and classmates. We wrote cards for Christopher, David, Katie, etc. and then we came to Andrew. One letter into writing his name and the giggles took over my formerly normal pre-adolescent child, and then the foreshadowing of days to come showed up. The giggles. The beat-red blushing and her hand flying to her face to cover the grin she couldn't let go of. It was a priceless moment. I treasure that my little girl is a happy child experiencing all of the joys of childhood, even the innocence of giggles at a sweet little boy in her class. It's good to see life through the eyes of a child once in while.

It's a prettier place!